7th and Figueroa (its power and energy)

The time is exactly 2:34. I am excited. I owe it to L.A. women. She left a comment for me in response to a question I asked about the favorite areas of downtowners. She happens to like 7th and Figueroa. I had to go pass there this morning. I figure I would take care of two things at once; the inquiry concerning the

required classes and a photo shoot of the 7th and Figueroa intersection. I could take a step further in finding out what I need to do to put more of this legal nightmare behind me and also begin to please my readers. I do not have many but I want them to be happy.

I took the pictures and I think they are upbeat. I like happy things. Sometimes talking about Skid Row can get one so down. Furthermore, there is a wave of "pointing the finger" in Skid Row establishments. The computers are malfunctioning and, for some reason, they are pointing the finger at me because I am on them the most. I blog and I look for opportunities. It is much easier to look for opportunities on a computer than walking on the street.

I just finished talking to Brian, the restaurant management instructor at the STRIVE Program. He looked at my Google Analytics results from last night. He thought the numbers looked good. Brian is one of the people of courage in Skid Row. I have not written about him yet but it will happen soon.

Brian left the computer lab but something told me to keep going. I wanted to find out more about google analytics. As you know, I have been studying google analytics as much as I can. I have made copies of

everything so I can bring myself up to speed. It is suits my quantitative background very well. The Wharton School courses are very quantitative as opposed to using the qualitative case method form of teaching business. I feel very much at home looking at ratios. It is a matter of learning which ratios count more than others and which ones to look at to confirm good or bad suspicions about one's website. I also did alot of small business consulting for the Wharton School Small business Development Center while taking a consulting course in the Entrepreneurial Management Department.

I was digging away at something w hen I wanted to learn more about google analytics and marketing. I punched in some key words and I found something that caught my eye. Actual Metrics . It looked interesting. I hit the link. I read about them. I was frozen for about five minutes. I looked again at their job position that was available. They wanted somebody that could grow with the company and teach themselves new stuff.

In short, I felt I was perfect for the job, bad teeth and all. I feel that internet companies are more open minded and are willing to take a chance on someone. I feel I am the perfect person on whom to take a chance.

The candidate must have command of the english language, have good interpersonal skills, be able to teach and be able to sale. They want the person to be able to teach himself and be able to handle a wide range of skills. Wow. I felt great. l I really did. I felt I could be an asset to this company.

I looked at the address of the company and it sa id Fourth/figueroa. downtown Los Angeles.

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update

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something told me to call the number on the website. I did. I talked to the Mike. The website is outdated. They are not hiring anyone in the los angeles office. Oh well. Excitement is over. I just have to keep plugging away. Apparently this is the quantiative standard for understanding the numbers of your website.

I am a natural at it. Anyway, I am doing what the man suggested. I am reading the blogs and everything else.

I thought I had a chance to get a job. It would have been 3 blocks from where I took these photos.

There is something about the spirit of "LA woman" to spur me on.

I even ran to Chrysalis and talked to the office manager who is going to help me tweak my resume for a position at an internet company. but I am back at square one. Well, I am still going to follow up on tweaking my resume for the lady at Chrysalis so I will be prepared in case I have a chance in the future.

What made it perfect was they wanted someone to speak portuguese and I was a foreign exchange student

in Brazil.

I am trying to keep a stiff upper lip but it is a bit deflating to fing out so soon t hat there is no potential opportunity. I did not even mention that the court required class inquiry went t erribly.

I am t ired of sharing only negative experiences. Even in this one I had the chance to learn more about what is out there. I had a chance to take a picture of 7th and Figueroa. I hope the lady that inspired that picture

sees my blog today. she has been very encouraging.

She inspired me to stretch my boundaries today. I went for it. I shall follow through with creating another resume that accentuates other aspects of my background besides real estate.

I am utilizing the best thing that Skid Row had to offer, the people. Neidy, from Chrysalis is making herself available for me tomorrow. I would be remiss if I did not mention that she let me interrupt her today with my excitement. Eric, the computer instructor and Brian the restaurant management instructor stopped what they were doing to help me in whatever way they could.

Of course, without people knowing it, I used today what I use everyday from the internet. I used its best asset--its people. People created this communication and information marvel and one person this morning brought a smile to my face when i needed one and spurred some growth. Sure, I wish I could go further in that pursuit of employment but it was not to be. What is important was that I seized the moment and utilized every resource, human and otherwise to do so.

Everything builds on everything else. My father used to tell me that. I keep that in the forefront of my mind each and every day. Last week, I dreaded the Thanksgiving Holidays. However, I pushed myself to experience something new. What did I do? I walked to the Little Tokyo library to use their computers.

I am in that library now. I came here because I wanted to build on the fresh attitude that was created that night I came here for the first time.

the next day I had another new experience and had a most enjoyable and healing e xperience as a guest of a fine family. That gracious gesture and fellowship carried me through a rough weekend that I thought, before then, I was not going to be able to get through it.

I continued with utilizing all of the resources available and the new resources that I found that are available for a fresh outlook. Even the concierge, so to speak at Chrysalis, said to me that I am plugging away and that I was a good person. That meant so much.

Those comments from people mean so much. People are the cures of many things. When we have catastrophies, the best in people come out. I do not know have to access effectively the organizations in the Skid Row community. Ido know how to access the human resources that are in Skid Row separate and apart from the duties that they hold within those organizations. It is the people that are nimble and quick. The o rganizations are cumbersome and sluggish.

A woman told me that she likes to get things done. I know that she does. She is a Vice President of one of the missions on Skid Row. She dropped what she was doing immedicately to find out who dropped the ball on something pertaining to me. Her organization needs to be as responsive as s he is. They probably do what they know how to do. Perhaps they need to learn from her. She is quick.

People are quick in Skid Row. People must be quick in Skid Row. We must come to the aid of each other quickly because if we are not timely, a person may give up hope and turn to a self destructive behavior.

It happened yesterday. I did not know the person was hurting and now the person is self destructing .

People are the strength of the survival community of Skid Row as they are the strength of this country.

People aggravate you on skid row as well. The are not happy. They blame you. They want you as irritated as they. They do not mean it. They do not know any different. It is our job to teach ourselves a different way. I am beginning to believe it is our job to teach the organizations a different way to help the people of Skid Row.

People of Skid Row must teach themselves as well. People of Skid Row must not ask of others to do for them what they will not do for themselves. That must be said. I see people, a growing number of people, each day find within themselves the power to be honest and the power to grow. It is not easy. I see a growing movement. I see a NEW SKID ROW emerging. Will the people of Skid Row who are challenging themselves be able to approach the organizations in open forum? I believe we all need to sit at a table and dialogue.

Will they listen? Will they evolve as the needs of the people they serve evolve? Will the organizations of Skid Row evolve as their employees, who see the demanding needs of their clients ,as those needs reveal themselves, evolve? Will they be open as a collective as they demand their clients to be open minded?

There is beautiful energy on skid Row and Downtown in general. I love it. I love downtown. I am from this city and I want to experience the ressurection of the historical area. I am glad I am experiencing the energy of the people of downtown who accept you as you are. I, again , thank LA Woman for her inspiration this morning. I showed my appreciation as best I could with the photos and with my actions today.

She motivated me to experience the hustle and bustle of 7th and Figueroa, with all of its vitality and energy.

It propelled me to learn new things. That is the power of people. Let us harnass that and bring miracles to the area known as Skid Row. It will make all of downtown a better place. Every person of downtown Los Angeles will be able to feel that they are a part of a team a t eam that formed an amazing partnership to end something that has been growing in horror for years. Let this city, the City of Angels show the world how it is done.

I must go. On Thanksgiving weekend I healed some pain. I told you that. I drove on the same roads on which I traveled in chains. The love and spirit of the family that accepted me healed many wounds. I can now look at that stretch of road differently.

I am going to go now to the Christmas tree lighting. was in chains last December when I had to come downtown for no reason only to be told I had to come back. Each time I came down, I saw that Christmas tree outside of City Hall.

I am going there to heal myself and I am going there to feel the love of the people of our great city. I will feel the love of community that will carry me some more distance. People, and the love we carry within, is what heals people.

Good night world. I love you.