"Points West" by Steve Lopez. A year ago, I met a man who was down on his luck and thought...

[last lines] Steve Lopez: "Points West" by Steve Lopez. A year ago, I met a man who was down on his luck and thought I might be able to help him. I don't know that I have. Yes, my friend Mr. Ayers now sleeps inside. He has a key. He has a bed. But his mental state and his well-being, are as precarious now as they were the day we met. There are people who tell me I've helped him. Mental health experts who say that the simple act of being someone's friend can change his brain chemistry, improve his functioning in the world. I can't speak for Mr. Ayers in that regard. Maybe our friendship has helped him. But maybe not. I can, however, speak for myself. I can tell you that by witnessing Mr. Ayers's courage, his humility, his faith in the power of his art, I've learned the dignity of being loyal to something you believe in, of holding onto it. Above all else, of believing, without question, that it will carry you home.

"Points West" by Steve Lopez. A construction foreman in Griffith Park heard the crash. Hey! He saw a cyclist cartwheel off his bike and slam face-first into the u nforgiving asphalt of Riverside Drive. Good morn ing , ladies and gentlemen . As we begin ou r descent into Los Angeles, we ask that you please be su re that you r seatbelts are fastened . . . A 9 1 1 call brought out the troops from Fire Station 76. -What happened ? -You had an accident. - Do you know what happened ? - N o sh it, l had an accident. What? l don 't remember any of th is, nor do l recall the cause of the spill . -O u r batteries are off. - l 've been i n here six hou rs now, and . . . Listen to me . Wait a m i n ute . We' re ready to go . . . Hypochond riac. O R 2 . Cou nty-U SC was the closest emergency room , and l q u ickly realized that if you find you rself there with noth ing more than a bu m p on the head , you are one lucky Angeleno. Wow. Ready. l'm not entirely comfortable with this. Thank you. You have no new messages. Okay. Really? Doctors told me to expect up to four weeks of disorientation. Christ. All right. l'm not asking for sympathy. l just want you to know, l just... l'm not asking for sympathy. l just want you to understand what's going on if l start writing about what a bang-up job Governor Schwarzenegger's doing.