Full of music and art and amazing food, as well as a diverse collection of people. People often think hip hop is all we have to offer, but our music scene is incredible for all genres. Our art scene is wonderful and inspiring. Our food will blow your palette away. Our gay community is one of the least pretentious I've ever experienced, the people here come from every corner of the planet. It's a beautiful city.
If you could go back in time to talk to yourself, what would you say?
You aren't crazy or broken, just a little different than most. Not different from everyone, just most. You are capable of empathy and so much more. You're going to hurt. A lot. A whole lot. You'll be okay, though. People really care about you more than you know.
This album came out the summer I was 17. It was the first single, and it hit home the very first time I heard it. I had been on my own for a couple of years by then, and had almost no contact with my family. I got a call from my aunt the day the album came out asking if she could take me to lunch. Afterward as we were getting back to her place so I could get in my car and leave, she pulled the album from her purse and said that she'd been hearing this song for a couple of weeks and always thought of me when it came on. She started crying and we sat there listening to the entire album without saying a word. When this track came on, the rest of the world melted away. That is the only time in my life that I felt like someone really understood me. The only time i felt like someone really saw me. I couldn't cry then, but I wanted to. I wished I could. I can now, though, and I do each time I listen to this and even more so as I am typing all of this out. So, with all of that narcissistic ranting, here is the song that best describes my childhood: http://youtu.be/MUfgAbFY4CA