Town Column : Edgartown
By Gail Craig
Published: October 2, 2008
In a change of pace from my usual late-night column-writing technique, Riley and Amelia have joined me in my writing corner in the early evening to assist me with my composition. Riley is proofreading, while Amelia is helping me find the letters on the keyboard. It makes for a little bit of a slower process, but it certainly is more entertaining. At the same time - and adding a whole different feel to things, I might add - they are also chanting me on, getting me to blow bubbles with what is quite possibly the worst piece of bubble gum I have ever had, so they can pop them in my face. I'm just waiting for the gum to wind up on my keyboard (or worse). Since we just finished dinner, I at least know their hands are clean.
COMSOG, the Community Solar Greenhouse of Martha's Vineyard, continues a 20-year tradition by announcing the 21st annual Fall Festival. The greenhouse celebrates the arrival of the fall season by welcoming local residents and their families to its Fall Harvest Festival on Sunday, Oct. 5, from 12 noon to 3 pm, at the greenhouse off of New York Avenue in Oak Bluffs. Look for the yellow and green sign next to Dick's Bait and Tackle.
There will be free soup courtesy of Linda Jean's restaurant, music by the Vineyard Brass, spinning demonstrations, arts and crafts from local artists, plants, jams, jellies and produce, yummy baked goods and tons of exciting "Trifles and Treasures," plus activities for the kids. Lots of fun for all. You may park across New York Avenue at the church.
Congratulations to Tom and Mary Mandosa of Meshacket Road, Edgartown, who recently celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary. The long-married couple enjoyed a two-week vacation in Italy to commemorate the event, where they took in the delights of Capri, Rome, Florence, and Venice. What a wonderful trip it must have been. Congratulations on your time together. May you have many more happy years to come.
The Edgartown School SAC (School Advisory Council) invites all community members to come to the meetings this year and have input to the school. The next meeting is scheduled for October 28 at 10 am at the school. The membership information and future meeting dates are now posted on the school's website, edgartownschool.org, as is a downloadable form of the SAC's School Improvement Plan. While visiting the website, you may want to wander around it a bit, as the teachers have put in a great deal of effort to make their pages bright and informative. It's a great way to see what's going on at the school.
I was taken to task this week by a reader who doesn't appreciate my writing style and thinks I should fold up my laptop and go home, leaving the column to someone who won't "bore people" with their issues. I was somewhat taken aback by the level of anger that my little column in a local paper brought out in someone, given the state of the world these days. I'm not exactly Woodward or Bernstein.
Her email did prompt me to think about things because she seemed to think that I'm ungrateful for all that is good in my life. As I said to her, in terms of the world at large, I am probably significantly better off than 90 percent of the world, maybe more, and for that I am eternally grateful. But, in terms of those people who actually read my column, I probably settle in the middle of the pack somewhere - some good, some not so good. And trust me, I'm grateful for the good. But I'd be more than happy to trade in the bad.
I make an extended effort to not judge people by how they present outwardly to the world. Actually, I try not to judge people at all. But we can't possibly know what anyone else is experiencing when looking at the outside persona. Sure, I write a column for a local paper and I share some small insights into my world, but I don't let out the deeper details. So even though readers may feel that they know me, or that my life may look like, and often is, sunshine and roses, I am no Pollyanna. And sometimes the level of stress or exhaustion will come forth. So, my apologies to any readers who think I've not been uplifting enough. I've always just sort of written from my heart or gut, which has generally been something most readers have associated with and appreciated. I have my moods and I have my deadlines and sometimes they cross at a less than perfect moment. Sometimes I hit the mark. And sometimes, I guess I don't. And I hope that most readers will understand that, just like with any job, there are always bumps in the road.
I hope you all have a great week. Be sure to get me your news.
