The Art of Living

Moments and Decisions That Define Our Path

Love, Loss, and the Resilience of a City

by Dana Raye Barnaby

I was reading a random article the other day about the fires in Los Angeles. The devastation of the Pacific Palisades and the immense loss that residents are facing is only beginning to be realized. The images were graphic and the destruction was catastrophic. Yet, sitting in front of my computer thousands of miles away, I struggled to grasp what the local residents were truly experiencing. It wasn’t until later in the article when it casually mentioned the loss of Moonshadows, that I truly realized that it’s not only about the personal belongings that burned, but more about the ideology, the creative stimulus and the promise that this magical, coastal city means to so many.

Moonshadows: A Love Story with a City

For those who aren’t familiar with Moonshadows, it was a magical place, perched above the ocean on a rocky beach in Malibu. Built in 1966, this infamous restaurant and bar featured a back deck that cascaded over the rolling surf right where the moon and the Pacific Ocean met.  A small jaunt up the PCH highway heading north and as far west as you can get from the Santa Monica freeway, this small slice of paradise lay ahead, leaving the bright lights of the city sprawl in the rearview mirror.  It was here, sipping umbrella-garnished rum cocktails with a very special friend of mine, that I realized that Los Angeles was the perfect backdrop for a lifetime of inspiration, spun from golden sunlight and the shimmer of ocean waves, that has always held my heart captive. It’s a place where every street corner feels like a scene from a movie, where moments of serendipity seem inevitable. For me, this city was the idealist mise en scène for my own person romantic comedy. A story that played out in my mind over and over again, filled with laughter, heartbreak, and the promise of something extraordinary.

MOONSHADOWS - Courtesy of https://moonshadowsmalibu.com

Romance in the Santa Ana Winds

Even the smoke from my girlfriend’s cigarette smelled more romantic here as the Santa Ana winds blew her exhaled waft down towards the beachfront Mansions settled only a few feet away.  Yes, this is that moment, in this awe inspiring locale, that every gentleman finally becomes aware of how deeply in love he is with his leading lady. That moment in a Nancy Meyers, Richard Curtis or Nora Ephron screenplay where the boy finally becomes and man and realizes that everything that occurred before this magical moment was inauthentic and hopeless. 

The scene might have read:

WOMAN

 It’s so beautiful here. I wonder if we might stay here a little longer?

MAN

(without hesitation)

How does forever sound? 

The Hans Zimmer orchestration swells and the two kiss - sealing their love for eternity.

DISSOLVE TO:

The adoring couple park in front of the Sunset Marquis Hotel. Welcomed with a neighborly greeting and a helpful hand from the Valet, they stroll hand-in-hand through the hidden oasis that seems to exist outside of time. The gentleman holds the door open for the love of his life, mischievously flirting with him as she steps inside. She grabs his tie and pulls him through the doorway and into the bedroom as the door clicks to a close, behind the playful sounds of their laughter…

THE END.

Thankfully the Sunset Marquis and many city-wide gems have been saved from the fires that have claimed so much of Los Angeles. They all remain sanctuaries where stars and dreamers meet, where love feels palpable in the air. The kind of places that remind you that there is a compelling cause to rebuild again and that anything is possible, even in a world that has seen so much loss.

The Rewrite: Love, Loss, and Renewal

But life, much like the most compelling romantic comedies, isn’t without its twists. The fires that still rage on, bringing immense devastation, taking with them pieces of the city’s heart and my own. This disaster is yet another ill-fated blow to an industry that once allowed so many of us to thrive but now threatens our livelihoods.  Still reeling from the pandemic shutdown, another year lost to strikes, and now an industry-wide slowdown,  this cataclysmic addition to the collapse of Hollywood has forced me to rethink my path. This city, once my muse, has become a reflection of transformation - a bittersweet reminder that nothing lasts forever.

And yet, amidst the ashes of this upheaval, I found something unexpected: clarity. Like the protagonists in the stories I have always loved, I have reached my moment of reckoning. I’ve realized that my calling isn’t merely to tell stories, but to truly live them - to immerse myself in their lessons and truths.

Now, as I stand on the brink of my own final act, I am drawn to the grand romantic gestures that have always defined the stories I adore. I imagine a race to the airport, a desperate confession shouted above the noise of the world or a romantic song held high over-head on a 1980’s ghetto-blaster. Yet I understand now that the journey isn’t just about finding love - it’s about becoming the person who inspires it and the gentleman who is worthy of it.

This is my Los Angeles rom-com where the backdrops of Moonshadows and the Sunset Marquis aren’t merely settings, but characters in their own right. These places have witnessed my journey - one of heartbreak and inspiration, loss and renewal. This industry-wide force majeure may have rewritten my script but it has also revealed a new chapter brimming with promise. It’s a narrative that underscores the beauty of the re-write and finding light in even the darkest scenes.

As I write this closing chapter, I cling to the memory of those words whispered under Malibu’s moonlit sky: “How does forever sound?” That sentiment, a declaration of timeless love, reminds me that both love and this city, fragile yet enduring, have infinite capacity for reinvention. This is a story still unfolding, filled with twists and turns, but one I cannot wait to see through to the end. After all, isn’t that what every gentleman’s journey is about?

Thank you for taking the time to join me on this journey of reflection and storytelling. If these words have resonated, you might enjoy my second series of essays called, The Vanishing Gentleman.

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