Just when we thought 2020 couldn’t get any more bizarre, Kanye West announces he really is running for president.
I think future generations will look back on this period of history in amazement. As it is really quite remarkable how much we have managed to pack in to 2020, imagine what could happen over the next five months … perish the thought!
How are you all holding up otherwise? This new normal malarkey is becoming really dull, isn’t it? I realized what gets me down the most is that there is not really anything to look forward to or plan for, which tends to make the daily grind feel a little bit pointless. But then I remind myself that it can’t go on forever and that every day is a step closer to getting back our regular lives. So that is what we have to look forward to!
What have you missed the most? For me, other than the obvious things like spending time with friends and family, it is simple things like being able to have a leisurely browse around the shops, or making last-minute spontaneous plans. I really do miss live shows. I’ve noticed that every time I drive past the Comedy Store or the Laugh Factory I get a little pang of longing and sadness. As who knows when they will be able to open their doors again? Recently I have found myself reminiscing a lot about past concerts I’ve attended. Facebook’s ‘Memories’ feature is a constant reminder of all the amazing shows I have been lucky enough to attend. Just this week I was informed that it was over ten years ago that I went to see Prince for his 21 nights at The Forum. For the princely sum of $25 (sorry couldn’t resist the pun!). His residency was the talk of the town, each show was slightly different and best of all every Prince fan could afford to buy a ticket.
Sadly I think live shows are going to be the last thing to reopen, and even then it will only be if the theatres get financial support in the meantime. There is a campaign running at the moment to ask our legislators to save independent music venues! If you visit SaveOurStages.com they have set up a handy automated form that takes 30 seconds to fill in and then with a click of a button it is emailed to your local representatives. Please make sure to encourage all of your friends to do it too, as Los Angeles will be a cultural wasteland if our theatre and music venues get eradicated.
One thing I don’t miss is sitting in traffic. I am constantly reminding myself to appreciate the clear roads whilst we still have them. I know a lot of you are really missing physical interactions. Although, interestingly enough I have noticed that our weekly Pub Quiz hosted on Zoom is possibly more interactive by being online. As everyone can actually get to see and chat to each other, rather than when in a bar you mostly only talk to the people sitting closest to you. I can almost hear you all saying “But nothing beats a good chinwag over a pint down the pub” and to that I reply “it’s like comparing apples to pears” (or even oranges, depending on what country you come from). Hosting events online is also great for those of you who are trying to save money, or aren’t in the mood to be in a bar or perhaps can’t get a babysitter. So it definitely does have a lot of positives. Which is handy as it looks like that’s going to be our only option for quite some time. If you want to join in you can find all the details for it and our virtual Breakfast Club over at www.britsin.la or you can drop us a line at info@britsin.la
We would love to hear your stories on how you are coping – or not coping – during this pandemic. Or are you hosting any virtual events? Please email us if you have something to share on this or any subject. We always love to hear from you.
Cheers!
Eileen
