What can you do to make your SLO County community a better place for all?
‘Tis the season for giving, and donating, and reminding us endlessly to do both.
Especially online.
One reminder, I appreciate. Nine from the same nonprofit in the same week? Not so much
Thank goodness most of us don’t live our entire lives in the social media milieu, even though it seems as if some of us certainly do.
More’s the pity for many of them.
There’s so much negativity there, so much griping and sniping and finger pointing.
You’d think all that Scrooge-y talk would lessen during the holidays, but so far, it hasn’t.
I understand that some of us need to vent. These are tough times for many, with inflation, the tripledemic, world and national conflicts, mass shootings and other unwarranted attacks, political unrest, job and housing uncertainty, even personal health issues.
Maybe you and your dog were attacked by someone else’s unleashed canine. Or you desperately need to find a new place to live. Or a service person who was supposed to show up didn’t. Or a pricey restaurant meal fell flat.
So, you turn to social media as a pressure-relief valve for your anxiety and frustration.
Or, like photographer/media maven Michele Sherman of Cambria, you ordered a faux Christmas tree three times in a week, but Amazon and the post office had no idea where any or all of those trees wound up (or, in one case, if one of them really was really shipped.)
In Sherman’s case, however, she turned her exasperation into an ongoing online comedy skit, writing about and showing photos of the various ways she was filling the gap with a tiny tree, a bunch of accessories that she kept shifting around and her customary kick-a attitude. Her methods included creating a tree skeleton with green tape on the wall near where the ordered tree was supposed to be.
You rock, Michele!
Finally, a 6-foot-5-inch-tall tree — maybe even the one that was supposed to arrive before Thanksgiving — was delivered to Michele on Dec. 2.
She wrote, “I didn’t realize the box would be so big and really heavy. I would never have been able to get it upstairs myself. The young delivery man offered to carry it up for me, “so I gave him a nice tip. He said it made his day.”
Limoncello from lemons, my friend.
Garman wants less talk, more action
I sure wish everybody could take an upbeat approach instead of being Negative Nellies.
At least I’m not alone in trying to encourage more cheerful, interactions online and in person, and, in the process, tamp the comments from gripey grinches.
Another Cambrian, Mark Garman, wrote about that on Nextdoor in mid-November.
Mark wrote, in part, “Aren’t you tired of hearing complaints about your community or your neighborhood? I am.
“Don’t you wish there was something you could do to make your community or neighborhood a better place to live?
“I do.
“Fortunately, many of our neighbors and Cambria businesses feel the same way.
“There are many issues in our village that can’t be fixed by local government due to limited resources and funding.
“But these challenges are not insurmountable.
“Instead of complaining about issues, many Cambria residents have put their words into action. Through community service, our residents found a way to have their concerns addressed and build a volunteer support mechanism for fixing problems.
“Whether it’s cleaning graffiti off public places, painting benches, picking up litter, cleaning out creeks, landscaping and planting gardens in public spaces, feeding the hungry, recycling, maintaining trails, volunteering with community service groups and encouraging others to join in.”
Countywide volunteerism
So true, Mark. Many San Luis Obispo County residents have chosen to not gripe online, in person or at meetings about a situation that needs fixing. Instead, they put their time, energy and enthusiasm toward doing something positive to correct the problems.
If they do discuss the situations online, they couch their comments in positive terms, as in “look what we’ve accomplished so far — why don’t you join us?”
The list of caring individuals is way too long to list here, for Cambria or for any area of the county.
Likewise, I won’t even try to list all the clubs, nonprofit entities, casual groups and alliances that have made a difference in 2022, work and dedication that benefit all of us. Because I’d surely forget to include one of the most crucial ones, and I don’t want hurt feelings.
As Mark said, “Good and caring people working together anywhere truly can make a difference.
“The impact of these projects is a cleaner, friendlier and more beautiful Cambria.”
But then he homed in on a crucial aspect of caring for your community by doing something for somebody else.
“Equally as important, if not more so,” he said, “are the many personal interactions that develop among neighbors, friends, families, newcomers and the business community.
“Community service brings out the best in us, inspires hope and empowers us to believe in a better future. ... All of us should be committed to making our community a better place to live and raise a family.
Remember, now is the time for: ‘Less talk and more action.’ What worthy effort do you support? … Take time to volunteer in your community.”
Well said, Mark.
As I write this on International Volunteers Day (Dec. 5), my holiday wish for you is that you can find and embrace (or already have) a cause you can be passionate about, and then devote your time, energy and funds to it.
Please let us know which one you’ve adopted and what you hope to accomplish. And know that those efforts will be the greatest, long-lasting gift you can give your community and the people in it, including yourself.
