Greetings Friends,
It is really important that we find a way to stay positive now. It is hard. These are strange times. From less than a month ago, we went into March, aware that something big was happening, but over the last 30 days, the global impact of this hit us right here at home. I am a very social person and so much of my enjoyment comes from hanging out with friends, enjoying a cocktail on some of my fave local restaurant patios, enjoying a great band in the plaza or at the Gallo or State. But all of that is on hold right now as we all manage as best we can, trying as hard as we can to keep as much normal in our lives, despite existing in e our own plastic bubbles of separation. This is when you know, that your family and friends are the most important thing in life, and keeping yourself safe and healthy is top of the list. I am thankful for the positive things in my life, like being a new grandparent soon and Abbey’s wedding in the fall, and am watching and listening for the challenging things that need help in our community.
Some of us have job that are “essential” and we have to keep running to keep the food supply or the health industries going and so there are kind of two worlds; one that has been confined inside, and the other that keeps the matrix going. It is truly surreal. But it is what is missing right now that we need to pay attention to.
What we can’t do, is forget about the restaurant owners that are either shut down or operating on fumes and trying to get by with Curbside or Grab and Go business or our bartenders and servers that are out of work. Friends, we need to keep these folks going. If you can make it to a McDonalds, you sure can get pick up curbside at your fave local restaurant that has been feeding you for years. They need you now and we have an up to date list of who is open at @modestoview on Facebook. If you can’t get out to pick up, consider purchasing gift cards for future visits. This is literally keeping some of these places going and I know our readers are the ones that will make a difference.
Now let’s listen to the music. Oh wait, it is silenced since we can’t gather to rock and roll. There are bands, singers and songwriters who’s livelihood his literally disappeared. Not only the local shows, plays and gigs have been cancelled, but larger scale events at the Gallo Center and the State Theatre have been canceled or delayed. Even the huge events like Coachella and BottleRock have been delayed to some “safe” date in the future. The Modesto Area Music Association has a list of the local bands and the links to their music sites where you can download/purchase their songs and buy their merch. In April, the MAMA will be presenting donation gigs at Rivets and other audience-free locations to do live concert casts. We hope you will tune in from 6-8 pm on ModestoView Facebook and we will be posting the bands Venmo account so you can send them some tips. If just 40 people tip the bands $10, it makes a huge difference. Stay tuned for more details as we get close. I did a Facebook live show last week and it was so much fun, playing my fave songs, reacting to requests and my friends so hopefully we can keep this going to support other local bands. Please chip in when these shows happen.
Since all of our event calendars are mostly clear now, we need to make sure that we are still connecting with each other. Pick up the phones, meet up with friends for a bike ride, walk in your neighborhoods, take the kids on a Bear Hunt, work in your yard, wave to passers by, write chalk messages on the sidewalks and streets, pick up curbside food, play your guitar on the porch, build a playhouse in the back yard, run the Mensinger trail and Virginia Corridor, take a downtown mural tour and just stay connected with out community, as soon, hopefully soon, we will start to come back to life and we need to get back to normal as soon as we can. We need to rediscover the non-digital fun things we did as a kid.
You, the ModestoView readers are the best anywhere and you are so appreciated. That is why I felt it was really important that we printed this month as normal and increased our mail delivery. Even though there aren’t many events, there are still things to learn about in Modesto. We continue to celebrate our Modesto 150, (although the 2020 chapter will be pretty unusual) and we learn about Modesto in the 1930s, and explore and celebrate the 50 year anniversary of Earth Day. These are all things that keep going as everything slows down. Thank you to the amazing local businesses that realize they still need to talk to you and get their message out and it makes it possible for us to bring ModestoView to you.
So thank you for reading, thanks for being a part of this community and thanks for being a contributor to making this a great place to live. You know, if we can make it through this, with a good attitude and hope for the future, we are going to be better off. Let’s support each other, make sure you help those in need, and if you are still working, please reinvest in our local businesses.
With gratitude and wishing you good health,
Chris Murphy – Publisher and Founder, ModestoView
chrism@modestoview.com<mailto:chrism@modestoview.com>
