When I picked up my copy of the New Yorker this week, I was surprised at how slender it was; then, I realized that the entire ‘events’ section was not there. It’s a good third of the magazine. It’s hard to imagine NYC just as quiet as pin, but I’ve not seen this much space on the streets of Culver City, ever. I am missing the Block Party at the Kirk Douglas, the concerts from the CC Symphony and Vox Femina, and so many of the other cultural delights we get to enjoy. But there are so many books to read, so many delicious things I want to bake, and people all over the country I’ve not had a good chat with in a while. There’s always an upside.
It’s a new world, and the task is to adapt.
So, five things to do this week –
- Stay out of the grocery store. Clean the kitchen cupboards, inventory what you have and rotate those older cans to the front. You may have enough stuff to make at least one complete meal and probably more. There are gazillions of recipes available online. AND (we’ll call it 1a) order in from our local restaurants. Keep our local economy healthy!
- Walk as much as you can. Getting out and getting exercise is critical to staying fit and staying sane. As long as we are ‘distancing’ then it’s ideal.
- Make some phone calls, particularly to the people you don’t usually get to talk with. The sound of a voice can be soothing and reassuring, at both ends of the call.
- Public Art is a great way to feed that craving for culture and stay safe. The guides for viewing public art in Culver City are available on the city website, and several of them are organized to be an easy stroll. They aren’t all downtown – the arts district and West Culver have some wonderful mural, sculptures and surprising installations.
- Reach out and help – even if it’s just a small donation, a moment of your time, an errand for someone who can’t risk exposure – it helps more than you can ever know.
So, take care of yourselves, and each other, and we will get through this. Summer is coming.
Judith Martin-Straw
In some ways, I’m more connected to friends and family than I’ve been in a long time. I’m taking this time to take care of myself and think about the things that really matter. And as long as you’re social distancing, there’s no reason to not enjoy life outside!