“Stay Alive ’til ’25.” That was the battle cry of an industry post-covid, the strikes and a collective depression (both literal and figurative).

“We Can Rebuild.” This was the hope of legions of writers, drivers, vendors, actors, electricians, costumers, builders, location managers, production assistants, union members, caterers, small business owners — all who have taken hit after hit, year after year, as streaming bubbles burst, jobs shrunk, then disappeared.

Then ’25 arrived, our communities burned and “rebuild” took on a whole new meaning. We need to rebuild the lost homes, the playgrounds, the schools and shops. The lost seaside icons. The lost communities that hosted Fourth of July parades and barbecues, built businesses, raised families, laid the foundations of a bountiful generational future. We also need to rebuild our lost purpose.

We all know the mythology: Los Angeles is the place you come with a dollar in your pocket and a dream in your heart.