Our editor, Kim Calvert, shares her perspective of what it’s like to be single in Los Angleles.
After an exhausting and frustrating day at the office last Wednesday, I decided to treat myself to a mani-pedi at my local nail salon. You know the type, “mani-pedi $13.” I wanted to do something nice for myself and forget about my ever growing to-do list and the mountain of problems on my desk.
As I was leaving the salon with my newly painted toe nails, wishing I had a cigarette (a sure sign I’m in stress mode – I quit 15 years ago), I heard a crash, spun around and saw gold sparks shooting down Santa Monica Blvd. A body lay in the street. I ran toward it, horrified at what I might see, yelling, “Someone call 911, someone call 911!”
The young man was laying in a contorted heap. I didn’t know if he was alive. His motorcycle, a new black Harley, was laying on it’s side some 40 feet ahead of him, equally still.
I reached out to touch his arm. I’ve heard human contact can anchor an escaping soul, and told him, “Be still baby, lay still, the doctor is coming.” Relieved, I saw him move. He struggled a bit as I spoke to him. He was alive – but blood was bubbling from his lips and dripping onto the dark pavement. I was afraid he would die before help arrived.
It seemed like an hour, but within 10 minutes five police cars arrived to block off traffic and move the crowd, including me, back to the sidewalk. Then the ambulance and a firetruck came, and with great relief, I watched as they started first-response efforts, bracing his neck and lifting him onto a stretcher and loading him into the ambulance before speeding off into the night.
The entire experience opened my eyes to how quickly our lives can take a dramatic turn. One moment, I’m walking to my car longing for a cigarette, stressed out because life is treating me unfairly – and at that same moment, a young man enjoying the thrill of his sexy new motorcycle, loses control, crashes, and is laying in the street bleeding and unconscious. It was a reminder of how precious life is, how quickly our lives can careen into an unexpected direction – and how small my own problems can be.
Would that young man trade his problems for mine today? I think he’d be glad to.
–Kim Calvert
Kim Calvert is the editor of Singular magazine and the founder of the SingularCity social networking community. An outspoken champion of people who are living their lives as a “me” instead of a “we,” Kim oversees the creative direction and editorial content of the magazine and online social networking community. She secures contributors and is responsible for maintaining the fun, upbeat, inspirational and often-humorous tone of Singular, a lifestyle guide for successful single living.