To Do 12.17.20

Editor's Note

It’s logical that when you keep doing something over and over again, you become less aware of your surroundings. With lockdown orders in place and shorter days, it’s easy to slip into this mindset and perhaps check out emotionally.

I don’t want to call it desensitizing, because that seems extreme. But even I, a person whose job it is to keep up with what’s happening, can block things out.

But the other day I had a moment of wakefulness. I was walking my dog, going through the same route, in the same neighborhood, occasionally saying hello to the same evening dog walkers. For one reason or another, I noticed at my neighbor’s mini library and pantry: a box of diapers, some clothes, and the pantry filled to the brim with food. I was reminded that the reason I have this nighttime walking routine is because of the pandemic.

People are still recovering. People still need to feed themselves. People are still raising their families. And a community is still adapting. It’s moments like these, of realization and attention, that I think we should seek as we move into winter, where the impulse is to sleep. Sleep to recover and take care of yourself, yes. But also remember to rub your eyes open once in a while. – Marielle Argueza

PAY: it forward.

The holidays are about giving – it’s the common thread from all the virtual Santa talks, the gift giving, the dinners and generally all the feel-good feelings that come with the ensuing weeks. Now during the pandemic, there is more reason to give than ever before. You don’t need a big paycheck to give. For the price of a pour-over coffee at a fancy cafe, you can meet the bare minimum donation for the 162 nonprofits in this year’s Monterey County Gives! campaign (mcgives.com). There are matching and challenge gifts too, so your dollars go further. Your organization of choice not listed? Give directly; most nonprofits and mutual aid efforts accept donations year-round and the holiday season is no different. If money is not where your wealth is, try volunteering. Perhaps your church needs a helping hand prepping food for a hoilday dinner drive. If you have a business, you can set up a canned food drive. Or, maybe just knock on your neighhbor’s door and ask them if they need help. Time is the ultimate currency and sometimes it’s more abundant than the dollars in our pockets.

VISUALIZE: the beauty in the world and partake in IT too.

There are plenty of artists and art organizations trying to stay alive and relevant in these times. But ultimately, their creativity needs to be seen or experienced. There are still ways to experience that art, including miniature art fundraisers, such as those at the Monterey Museum of Art and Carmel Art Association. Carl Cherry Center for the Arts (carlcherrycenter.org) has an auction, titled Nine Days of Artmas, to help raise money for the little gallery. Not local, but still worth experiencing because it was once a well-beloved local holiday performance, is Smuin Ballet’s Christmas Ballet which goes virtual this year (smuinballet.org). It runs until Dec. 25. There’s even a virtual cocktail hour on Friday, Dec. 18 at 6:30pm with some of the Smuin dancers. RSVP by emailing Deb Glazer (dglazer@smuinballet.org).

KEEP: tradition alive.

We know 2020 is nobody’s ideal situation, but there are ways to reinvent traditions and keep them alive. Maybe you and yours always went up to the big city or kept an eye for a local performance of The Nutcracker, a sort of pièce de résistance of winter dance arts. Russian State Ballet and Opera House has a YouTube Channel with a full performance available for viewing. Maybe you’re more of a theater person; local one-man-theater company Howard Burnham still does his annual rendition of Charle’s Dicken’s A Christmas Carol. This year it will be virtual and includes a live Q&A post-performance. Burnham’s show happens on Saturday, Dec. 19 at 5:30pm. Zoom registration required: bit.ly/theatreMonterey2020.