the city of angels: hate it or love it?

i love los angeles. i really really do.

but instances lately have pushed me a little over the edge. i don't think these occurrences are specifically unique to la--maybe they're characteristic of large urban cities? anyway, i'm annoyed.

instance #1: i am up at 5:45am. WHY? not because of Car Alarm this time. i am awake because of a crying, hysterical, and very LOUD girl screaming on the phone to her (ex?) boyfriend. she's screaming on her phone. on the street. it's 5:45am girlfriend. i literally woke up to the screams of "WHAT DID I F-ING DO?!" to "YOU SAID YOU LOVED ME LAST WEEK!" to "I LOVE YOU SO MUCH BUT YOU'RE A F-ING LIAR..."

i'd much rather wake up to variations of birdie chirps.

instance #2: my wallet is much much lighter these days because of my very costly speeding ticket + traffic school ($410 all together...) and 2 parking tickets ($50 and $60). i get it. it's my fault. i'm feeding the starving government. blah blah, BUT I'M POOR.

instance #3: i called the cops on an extremely loud party on sat night. it was only 10:30pm which i understand is early to call the cops. i was on hold for 20 minutes waiting for an operator to report the party to. then i get a call at 11pm from the operator saying that the cops were going up and down the street because they couldn't hear the party, and would i want to go outside to meet them? sure. i went outside and there was just a regular citizen driving out a parking spot on the street. the police car was just waiting there so i waved and waited for the police to either park or approach me.

uh..nothing for 5 min. we just stared at each other. am i wrong? am i supposed to approach the cop car? i found that really weird. so here goes the dialogue between us two after i walked up to the police car:

policeman: are you the one that called us? i saw you standing there but you didn't say anything.
me: yeah, i thought you were going to park or something.
policeman: where's the party?
me: i'm sorry, i think i told you that it was at the end of the street but it's these two houses right here (pointing to my crazy neighbors' houses).
policeman: but i don't hear anything (very snippity he was...).
me: they probably saw you. i hope you believe me, sir, but they were extremely loud.
policeman (looking at me skeptically): do they have parties a lot? i don't hear anything.
me: yeah they do. all the time.
policeman: are your windows open?
me: no. i live right there. and i can hear them through closed windows.

he then asked me my last name and told me to report them again if they were being loud. and he then immediately drove off.

i don't get it. he had such an attitude with me! i get that the LAPD gets annoyed that they have to patrol the streets...but it's their job. i wouldn't prank call the cops to get attention. aiya. i'm the annoying neighbor that tattletales on the world. but seriously, they're so loud. just refer back to instance #1.

it's hard to love your city when instances like these happen. it's hard to seek the prosperity and peace of a city like the way Jesus wants me to, but it's up to us to bring shalom to His people. hopefully i take these occurrences and pray for and be genuinely concerned about my neighbors, the government, and the police task force. because they sure need the prayers.

the city of angels: i absolutely love it.