Having gone away for the weekend, I’m writing this as I return on the boat and as I sometimes do, I’m pondering how our lives are so intertwined with boats and ferry schedules. Today’s musings started as I was driving across the parking lot and up the boat ramp. How many times have I done this? This thought led to a domino effect of other thoughts. Other people don’t actually do this. In fact, most people have probably never done it. Others probably find it very foreign on the rare occasions that they do. And yet here we are. Islanders. Living on an island.

When I was in college I would say, “I have to leave because I have to catch the 5 o’clock boat” or something similar. And my friends would look at me and say, “You have to take a boat?” This always amazed me because, being college students, I figured they knew the definition of an island and the fact that they are surrounded by water. But they always pointed out that they just assumed there was a bridge. Funny how our experiences can affect our future visions and thoughts. I would never have even thought of a bridge, just a boat. And though I’m weary of this mode of travel that has become habit over the years, if I ignore the time and effort and just look, it’s pretty amazing. And very beautiful.

I love that MV Community Services always keeps me up-to-date with upcoming events. I remember always looking for interesting things to do or useful information when my kids were little. First up is Raising a Thinking Child, an eight-week interactive and research-based program that explores how to improve your child’s problem-solving skills and ability to resolve conflicts, all while encouraging her/him to think for her/himself. This starts on Friday, Jan. 20,  from 9:30 to 11 am at the MV Family Center in Vineyard Haven. They are also offering Family Zumba for kids and adults on Saturday, Jan. 21,  from 1 to 3 pm at the Island Wide Youth Collaborative.

And lastly, the Parenting Journeys support group for parents raising a child from birth to eight years old with special needs meets on Wednesday, Jan. 25  from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at the MV Family Center. Dinner and childcare is provided. For more information on these or other events, visit their website at mvcommunityservices.com/events.

Oak Bluffs continues to discuss mopeds on Martha’s Vineyard, and the public is invited to attend the presentation of the Mopeds Are Dangerous Action Committee at the Oak Bluffs board of selectmen’s meeting, Tuesday, Jan. 24, at 4:30 pm downstairs at the Oak Bluffs library. For more information, visit the MV Mopeds Are Dangerous Facebook page. While mopeds are not available to rent in all towns, they certainly impact all of our community.

Happy birthday wishes go out to Cathy Merrill and Anne Williamson, who celebrated on Jan. 16.

This Friday, Jan. 20, at 3 pm, there will be a magic show in the Edgartown School gym, sponsored by the Edgartown School PTA. Jason Purdy is an internationally known illusionist who will perform classic magic, comedy, and sleight of hand. This promises to be a great time for the whole family.

The Edgartown School’s boys and girls basketball teams head into the championship games this Friday against Oak Bluffs. The girls game will start around 6 pm and the boys game will follow. Come and cheer on the kids if you’re looking for something to do.

If you’re planning a trip to Boston, perhaps you’d enjoy a visit to the Museum of Fine Arts. If so, you can stop at the circulation desk of the Edgartown library and pick up a free pass. One pass entitles two visitors admission to the museum for $10 each. That’s one more great reason to visit the library. The passes are generously purchased by the Friends of the Edgartown Library.

For other deals, you can also visit the CLAMS network catalogue. It lists discount tickets to all sorts of destinations, from Battleship Cove to Mystic Aquarium, from the New Bedford Whaling Museum to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Enjoy!

These are tumultuous times. The Inauguration is Friday and there will be protest marches all over the country on Saturday. I don’t think that it is an accident that Martin Luther King Jr. Day leads us into this week. We must remember his teachings and techniques. Above all else, he was peaceful. I wish you all a wonderful week.