The Great Clean-out of 2005

Do you ever have moments of clarity?

Last week I had lunch with my cousin, Missy. She is smart, beautiful, and fabulous and I love catching up with her whenever I can. We were both home for unpleasant reasons. Her mom just lost a long battle with colon cancer the week before her cousin, my uncle, lost his short battle with lung cancer. Despite the horrid occasion for our being in the same place at the same time, I had a great time with her.

Anyway, she used to run a production company in New York and now works in Barcelona. We talked about the entertainment industry, what’s wrong with LA, family, and life transitions. She recounted her most recent life transition. She spent two years dismantling her life in Manhattan; it was an extremely painful process, but one that ultimately allowed her to build a life she loves in Spain. And the tragic death of her mother aside, she’s much happier today than she was before.

As I was sitting there listening to her, it occurred to me that my life is full of clutter.

People who I don’t like, can’t count on, or don’t trust.
Things I don’t really want to own or rent.
Projects I’m working on that don’t bring me joy.

All of this stuff swirls around me blurring my vision so I can’t see what’s really important to me, what I really want.

Maybe that’s what I came out to LA to figure out – what I really want.

Instead I’ve collected more clutter. And while my life out here will provide amusing anecdotes for blogs, cocktail parties, and future creative projects for the rest of my life; I feel a compelling need to swat away the bullshit. To rid myself of the people, things, and projects that don’t feed my soul.

I am almost positive it will be arduous and painful. But hopefully underneath the mountain of superfluous-ness surrounding me is a smattering of that which makes me happy.

So here goes. Wish me luck -