22. Calling All Saints In L.A.

If you didn't know, hallow is another word for saint.  Halloween initially was celebrated as the eve of All Saints Day (November 1).  You know, get your sinner on before you have to behave like a saint.

With this in mind, I decided to get my Google on and see what would come up if I searched, "saints in los angeles", assuming a list of saints would show up.  Then I could pick one to visit and write about.  (Okay, let's just take a side bar here to mention what the process for becoming a saint is.  This way you'll understand a living person can't actually be a saint.)

I was a little surprised to find what did show up in the top spots.   The wikipedia page for Motley Crue's Saints of Los Angeles, their ninth studio recording effort released on June 24, 2008, and corresponding music videos for the title song of said recording.  The first not Motley Crue listing was in postion #28, the Home Page of All The Saints of the City of Los Angeles.  Finally.  Something I could work with...until I clicked on the link.  While the creator, J. Michael Walker, appears to have put together something quite amazing it still wasn't going to help me much.

What's a girl to do?  Rely on her own brain?  That's right!  I knew that the word "santa" is spanish for the english word "saint".  I started searching my own personal data banks for a town close by which starts with Santa.  Please insert your own game-show-clock-ticking-music here while the search ensues.  Hola?  We have a winner. Santa Monica!  And excitement of excitement I had just visited and video'd Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade.

I desired to go ever since I heard about this thing that was supposed to be going on at the promenade for domestic violence awareness, the Tunnel of Hope, part of the Shop 'til It Stops program sponsored by Marshalls.

What's the saying, "A day late and a dollar short"?  Well, I was definitely days late as the display ended October 15th and it was Octobeer 29th.  (Okay, can we take another break here to laugh at my typo, Octobeer? Ha.  Ha.  Ha.  Ha. Freakin'. Ha. Makes me think of something I could do next year with all the other things October is said to represent, domestic violence awareness month for one.  Octo is 8 [so why is it the 10th month? hmmmm] and beer is beer.  So, it's the month for drinking 8 beers a day.  Responsibly, of course.  Okay, I'm not totally serious, but then maybe I'm not not serious either.)

What is exciting is that because I was aware of this event, well...let me back up.

So, my own personal immense brain data base came up with Santa Monica.  Mmmm hmmm.  I like it.  Let's check it out.  I googled Saint Monica (aka Saint Monica of Hippo) and sure enough, there is a Saint Monica and Santa Monica, California is named for her.  It just so happens that she is known for her virtue of patience and for helping other wives of her place and time be free of domestic violence from their husbands, as she had.

I wish I could report that Santa Monica is so named out of a love for this saint.  Alas, no!  Wiki knowledge reveals the town is so named because the area on which the city is now located was first visited by Spaniards on her feast day.

I'm thinking if I am Saint Monica of Hippo I don't care so much why this lovely city is named for me, I'm simply thrilled that such a lovely place is named for me.