Body Cam

 

The morning sun casts long streaks of light through the city of Los Angeles, a hot and hazy oasis that is always buzzing with life. I am already feeling alive and ready to face the day. I’m semi-retired these days, so I don’t feel in any great hurry.

Today I’m trying out my police body cam, so I head towards a park not too far away. I take my trusty dog for a run, and attempt to dodge the ducks and errant human excrement. Everywhere I look the beauty of nature is fighting back against the relentless urban sprawl.

I strap on my police body cam, trying desperately not to imagine the horrific things it could have caught on its lens, and make my way through the park. The sun is beating down on me in a way that only the Los Angeles sun can, a feeling of simmering intensity that just can’t be replicated anywhere else.

I decide to head into a nearby neighborhood. As I stroll down the street I glance at the poor souls preparing to head off to work. Truly they are a slave to the system. Ahead I hear a man screaming in his house, but I choose to pay it no mind and keep on walking.

I eventually make it back through the park, and cross the bridge into the safety of the bike path. Each step taken slowly but surely brings me closer to my vehicle. My dog scampers along beside me, sniffing at the various stains and odors that make up the noxious bouquet of the LA streets. We take our time, and I keep one eye on the horizon, the other scanning our surroundings for signs of trouble. Eventually, we wind our way back to the car and drive off, leaving LA to its troubles and uncertainty.