California Dreaming

I've only ever really been interested in the past (which is probably why I'm so hopeless at such mundane matters as earning a living). History to me means the untold stories of ordinary people. When I see old film footage, for instance, my eye is always drawn to passers-by, people in the background, faces in the crowd. I'll be watching an episode of The Rockford Files, say, and in the distance - too far away for them to be an extra - there'll be someone strolling along the beach of Paradise Cove. Who were they, I'll wonder, what did they do, and what became of them? But above all I'll be thinking, 'How I wish that was me!'