Santa Monica Pier

Today was odd.

Went down to the Santa Monica Pier to get some shots and saw.....

• The brass plaque at the end of Santa Monica Boulevard pinpointing the official end of Route 66.
• Cops climbing onto the roof of a senior citizens facility obviously searching for something as the coroner's team pushed a body past us.
• Tons of homeless people in picturesque surroundings curled up with their belongings as celebrities lunched across the street at Ivy at the Shore.
• After finally migrating this gauntlet of visuals and making it to the pier, we descend to the beach and into a sea of white crosses signifying each military person killed in Iraq.

I stood on the sand covered boards amidst these crosses and protestors and watched as people lay on the shore laughing, kids playing in the Pacific surf and in the background the carousel and roller coaster on the Pier continued non-stop.

Death & despair in a setting of carnival overpriced real estate.

Sometimes, it's necessary to be confronted with such sights to really value everything you have.



.