As the script continues to write itself, we the participants are trying to figure it all out as we go. Plenty of mysteries unfolding at every turn. Elusive solutions and ongoing strife in so many facets of our daily routines. This is a drama unlike anything in our lives, up to this point.
I made the mistake of staying up way too late the other night watching a film called, “Perfect Sense,” a love story which takes place amid a pandemic. The first symptoms of the virus, in the film, were people losing their sense of taste and smell. Then, other senses vanished one by one. This movie which came out in 2011 was interesting to watch, though a little eerie while being in the middle of an actual pandemic.
Something I took away from the movie, as I do in life, is that no matter what happens, we adjust. We don’t give up. We do what we can to have things be nor- mal. Even though the path is altered, we find our way. When we come out of this, imagine how much love and joy will exist. Celebrations will ensue.
Maybe the hippies had it right. Peace, Love and Happiness. Seems to be a pretty good concept to me. Although I caught the tail end of that time in history, the sixties era was a big influence on me in the ’70s when I was a teenager. I believe we are witnessing the awareness and a global change which will hopefully result in a much-needed reset.
In this issue of Carmel Magazine there is an abundance of good reading material and positive messages throughout. This area remains an incredible place to live and at the current time a pretty good place to be sheltering in place during the worst thing to happen to us in 100 years.
Our cover story, which leads off with Jimi Hendrix, is about ten famous actors and musicians who have lived here. I hope you’re surprised by a couple of them. I know I was when researching the story. From a personal perspective, I’ve always wanted to put Jimi on the cover, I just never had a reason. As a huge fan of his guitar playing, singing and songwriting, its hard to believe that it has been 50 years since his death. I was so into Hendrix, that on the day of his death, I climbed the flagpole at Ortega Junior High School, in Sunnyvale, to lower the flag to half-staff. I succeeded at my mission only to be suspended for three days. It was well worth it to me. Another one that surprised me was Frank Zappa. He lived in Monterey and Pacific Grove as a kid and was a puppeteer who performed local shows. He also had fun with explosives which he discovered in an abandoned shed.
Our Early California Artist story profiles some of the major innovators of the genre. They, too, were inspired by this place and a tremendous group of artists developed amazing work here early on.
I spend a lot of time in front of my kitchen window. More and more people out exercising, walking dogs, doing their daily routines. Most people are now wearing masks. I know when I first started wearing a mask, they were not mandatory in the grocery stores and places I shopped. I did get some funny looks. I felt awkward. As we have gotten more accustomed to wearing them it certainly has gotten easier and less strange to see. I’m personally all for doing whatever we have to do to save lives and protect our families and friends.
Things are definitely changing. Wildlife is becoming more prevalent. A bear sighting in Marina, lots of fish in the rivers and creeks, and cleaner air and water. We are on the cusp of something big, but until the rest of this screenplay is played out, we will continue to ride it out and hope for a happy ending.
To our readers and advertisers, we remain committed to putting out interesting content and offering a high-quality product that our readers can continue to enjoy and our advertisers can utilize to market and brand. We deeply appreciate the support of our community.
Stay safe, sane and healthy!