Once upon a time, a young man in Southern California named Warren prepared to go out for the evening. He was well dressed and excited for the prospect of attracting young ladies using his ostentatious displays of wealth.

However, such a blatant display of material excess in a socioeconomically disadvantaged area led a band of miscreants to view Warren as an easy mark. Before he could protect himself, he was attacked by this group of opportunistic robbers.

All the while, Warren’s best friend Nathaniel was driving around the area, singing to himself while he scanned the perimeter for his friend. He saw a group of young women and paused his search to attempt to woo them.

During his witty banter with the ladies, he caught a glimpse of something just beyond the next block that gave him considerable pause: Warren was under attack. Nathaniel turned and witnessed the robbery in progress.

Logically, Nathaniel returned to his vehicle and produced an automatic weapon. He calmly murdered everyone without hesitation. Somehow, his spray of bullets missed Warren and the ladies he had left to wait on the curb.

The locale represented by the 213 Area Code

Instantly and in unison, Warren and Nathaniel understood that the best course of action was to put the unfortunate bloodbath behind them and proceed to the night’s original plan: fornication with ladies.

Nathaniel sang a jaunty tune to the woman on the curb he perceived to be the sexiest. Success! The sexy girl admired Nathaniel’s vocal stylings and asked if she could accompany him for the evening.

The rest of the ladies, sufficiently impressed, all joined Nathaniel and Warren. The entire group drove to east to a particular motel – the boys’ preferred spot for anonymous sexual encounters.

And that’s where our tale ends. Was Nathaniel arrested for shooting upwards of eight men in cold blood? Was Warren’s material wealth restored? Did the ladies from the curb pursue relations beyond the would-be one-night-stand at the motel?

We can never know what happened. We can only take heed and learn the lesson of this fable: when unexpected events disrupt your plans, overwhelm them and get back on course.

And do not rob people in Long Beach.