This is indeed the month of love and here in Modesto, it seems to be the month when everything comes to life. Real life. It is the real love of family and friends, and whether you are solo or in a relationship. Valentine’s Day is more than a loving or romantic relationship, it is about loving who you are, love of your family and making sure each of us feels valued and appreciated. Make sure you share your love and tell those people how much you mean to them this month. I know I would not be where I am today without the love of my wife Rebecca, my family and friends and I hope I do a good job letting people know how much I appreciate and love them back. It’s so important that we show this, and that is what makes Valentine’s Day special.
February is exciting in other ways too. Our area gets one of the most beautiful shows every year as the almond and peach blossoms explode in color, attracting people from all over to come visit and drive around to experience this once a year phenomenon. We might be in for a real treat this season as we have had a really wet winter and it could be amazing. Visit Modesto is already fielding calls from everywhere about our Almond Blossom “Cruise”.
Cruise? You got that right, here in Modesto USA, the home of American Graffiti (which turns 50 this year), everything is a cruise. It is just amazing how our classic car culture and be a part of so many different things. It is something really unique for us.
When we say time flies, it really does. It just seems to go faster each year. The 50th for American Graffiti and what’s really crazy, it is the 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop! Yup, the early 70s were the roots of hip hop, from the GoGo in Washington DC, the tough economic times in the melting pot of New York and then Los Angeles, there was a new culture bubbling up that would change pop culture in the 80s, 90s and still today. We celebrate that this month, along with Black History Month, we really time to make sure our cultures are understood and respected. We have historic churches, legendary animators, and even those who escaped the south to have a better life here and all of these cultures can be found in Modesto.
It seems more urgent this year as there is a sense of uneasiness for our minorities, our LGBTQ and even our women. As we honestly look at our history, we need to make sure our future is one of equality and opportunity for ALL people. We all have the freedom to be different and for us ALL to be free, we ALL need to be respected and at least tried to be understood. We can all have our own beliefs, but if you try to legislate your personal, religious or political beliefs on someone else, it’s not freedom, it’s oppression. We need to learn so we can be better in the future.
At the end of the day, it is all about love. Loving our friends and family, our community and being interested about how we make our community better. We need to focus on what I really means to live here and make a place that more people want to visit and even choose as home. It’s supporting our local businesses, going outside and going to places, listening to music, and going to a restaurant and not waiting for someone to bring it to you.
Artificial intelligence is coming fast and there is not much we can do to stop it, BUT, you can exist in the real world. Take off the goggles, get out of your bubbles and be a real part of the community and this place will really become the place we want to be.
I know the ModestoView readers are those people, reading these real words not generated by a computer using the words and art created by others. We have a deeply rooted history and culture and it will build a strong solid future if we do it all together.
With gratitude,
Chris Murphy, Founder and Publisher – ModestoView
chrism@modestoview.com<mailto:chrism@modestoview.com>
