The Hog of the Forsaken

People born and raised in LA are of an especially strange ilk. There are some shining exceptions--many of my closest friends are from here--but most consistently manage to surprise me in everyday interaction. Often, they're traumatized child models/actors born of parents wishing they themselves were stars, or giving them pot when they were 10, or letting the TV raise them. I'm not saying these people don't exist elsewhere in full force, but the density of meeting these types is far more prevalent here than anywhere else I have lived.

Perfect examples of this:

Me [describing a friend's father]: He's just very easygoing. He's very even.
LA child: ....even?
Me: Yeah, you know. Even-tempered.
LA child: OH. I thought you meant like his tan.

Another LA child: When he broke up with me he said I was too self-absorbed and talked about myself too much...and that just really turned me off.