DISCOVER
OJAI MONTHLY
A FEW WORDS FOR OJAI’S RECENT ARRIVALS Bret Bradigan
Six months into the Covid-19 pandemic, Ojai is still in a state of shock. We’ve not cleared the first wave; this current recurrence is still phase one. So we may well be quarantined once again come the winter months, especially since we’ve done such a poor job of containing the original outbreak. That’s going to hurt a shaky, tourist-based economy and the thousands of people whose jobs rely on it. Still, there’s interesting and uneven effects. Talk to anyone in the real estate game. Houses barely make it to the market before they get snapped up. People from the cities are moving to the country to escape their claustrophobic quarantine routines. It’s a reverse migration. We welcome these new arrivals, and hope they immerse themselves in our local culture and get involved in the community. Since many have come to raise their children, they can put their time, talent and treasure to work on school committees, volunteering in the classroom (if we’re fortunate enough to have a handle the pandemic so that we can safely reopen our schools), and many other school-related endeavors. Many of our local organizations could use an infusion of fresh energy and ideas; the Ojai Valley Museum, the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy, both Rotary Clubs, the Chamber of Commerce, Ojai Studio Artists, Ojai Film Festival, any of a half-dozen city commissions, all of which depend on energy and enthusiasm. Maybe you’ve thought about doing community theater. Guess what? You can find satisfying use of your talents at the Ojai Art Center — bring your sheet music or your toolbelt, once they resume productions. Then there’s animal welfare organizations, such as the Ventura County Humane Society, National Search Dog Foundation or the Ojai Turtle Conservancy. Volunteer-driven, every one. The only limits are your time and attention. Volunteering is where you’ll make friends and acquaintances, discover the common chords of humanity and learn that whatever divides us is nothing compared to what can bring us together. It’s where you make a life. The beauty of small-town is simple. The lack of scale means we can see the results of our efforts. We are known to each other. Our efforts can make a measurable difference in the world. There’s so much to do. Unfortunately, because of the pandemic, a lot of the pursuits are curtailed or postponed. However, we will get back to some kind of new normal and it will be “all hands on deck” for knitting back together our tattered social fabric. We need you.
OM — August 2020
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