Back in the Groove of Things
By Daniel Stallings, East Sierra Branch
Anyone else feeling a bit like an underground creature who has emerged from the shadowy depths to squint at the bright, burning sunlight? Just me? Okay. The point I’m making here is that, after an extended period curled up like a mole in my burrow, things are starting, slowly, cautiously, yet still optimistically, to reopen again. Ridge Writers is returning to in-person meetings in July, which is fantastic news. However, I know the transition from life in lockdown to life on the outside isn’t effortless.
As we gradually get back into the groove of things at Ridge Writers and the rest of the world, I think it’s important we remember and recognize that change has and will continue to happen over the coming months. Friends, colleagues, and contacts may have relocated in the past year. Venues and businesses may be closed or have changed hands. This may not be obvious at first, but it will slowly start to reveal itself over the coming months as we collectively emerge from our homes and try to reengage with the world around us. We’re going to have to work together as a community.
We can support local, small businesses who are struggling to stay afloat. We can volunteer our time with community projects, organizations, and efforts who have been trying to survive in a year without events and fundraisers. Think of your local arts and community organizations who had to give up in-person experiences for the year and now might lack necessary manpower and resources to pull through. Your time doesn’t have to be invested forever. But if we don’t show our support, we will lose those resources and opportunities. It may not be immediate and obvious, but it’s already happening. Grim? Dire? I prefer to think of it as an opportunity for building stronger communities. Volunteer. Support. Invest in our future. Because if you invest right now in this time of rebuilding, it will be so much more rewarding tomorrow. And, hopefully, for many, many, many years to come.
“Groove” first appeared in the
June 2021 Writers of the Purple Sage,
newsletter of the East Sierra Branch.