Sounds

Horns honking. People talking. The sound of feet scurrying down the sidewalk. I manage to find a parking space. As I open my door, it squeaks and startles me. My car is 10 years old; hanging on by a thread. I walk across the street to the Mom and Pop Coffee Shop that I go to every morning. The bell on the top of the door rings as I walk in. I hear the shop owner, Antonio’s deep voice. “Mia, good to see you. The usual?” I nod and smile as he hands me my tall iced coffee with 1% milk and a warmed blueberry scone.

I sit down in my spot outside the shop. The homeless man who is always outside the shop is asking for food or money, anything to get him through the day. I hear the bickering of two people walking by, she seems mad because he hasn’t signed the divorce papers yet. I drink my iced coffee and imagine peace and quiet. I imagine my hometown in Minnesota. Silence. The sounds of the birds chirping. It’s nothing like the city of Los Angeles. My thoughts are interrupted with the sound of a little girl asking the woman she’s with if she can hold her baby brother. I smile as they pass by. A few minutes pass and I stand up to leave. I grab my blueberry scone and walk towards the homeless man. I hand him a $5. His eyes light up as he says, “Thank you ma’am. God bless.” I smile and feel warm inside. I head back to my car. I turn the keys and head to work.

Sirens. I pull over as a giant red fire truck drives past me. I’m a writer for a TV show on ABC Family. One of the best shows I’ve ever been part of. I moved here from a small town in North Dakota five years ago and this is the biggest show I've worked on so far. I love it here, but it’s different than expected. I pictured living on the beach, hearing the waves splash and the sounds of the seagulls. I pictured Hollywood to have red carpets everywhere. I imagined a different movie premiere every night. The sounds of paparazzi taking a million pictures all at once. Party buses blasting music down the streets.

This city is not what I had imagined. The beach is beautiful but does not make up the whole city. Hollywood is magical but there aren’t red carpets and paparazzi 24/7. There are the sounds that are familiar. Babies crying. Parents comforting their kids. Horns honking. Sirens sounding. People talking. Phones ringing. Homeless people asking for food. Cars screeching as people slam the breaks. Sounds that can be heard in any city.

On the other hand there are many sounds that are different. Sounds that are special to LA. Sounds that are different from the small town where I am from. There are waves that seem bigger here. They splash loudly and wash away magnificent sand castles. I get to hear the sounds of directors yelling action and the applause from audience members when they enjoy a scene. The sounds of concerts in the Staples Center. The sounds of excited fans as they unexpectedly see their favorite celebrities at their grocery store. The countless languages that you hear from people of all different backgrounds and the tone of their voices that allow you to feel their enthusiasm.

All of these chaotic sounds are mixed with silent sounds. The sounds you don’t see or hear but rather feel. The sounds of rapid heartbeats from people all around the world, as they arrive at their first trip to Universal Studios. The sounds of quiet murmurs, between groups of tourists. The warmth of people's smiles as they see the iconic Hollywood sign for the very first time. The sounds of pure excitement of little kids when the fairytales they’ve read come alive at Disneyland.

We often take sound for granted. However, the sounds we hear are a big part of the cities we live in. Los Angeles has sounds that you can hear anywhere in the world; however, there are many that are special to this city. When you hear them you know you are in Los Angeles. You can’t miss the sounds and when you experience them, I hope you to realize that the sounds of LA are fundamental to this cities unique beauty.

*This is fictional piece inspired by personal feelings, observations, and people I have met.*