”In the end we will not remember the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” –Martin Luther King, “Steeler Lecture”
Last week, I dropped social media and picked up the phone, and began checking in with my Jewish friends and family. Shattered. Heartbroken. Furious. Incredulous. Outraged. Terrified. Numb. Anguished. Exhausted. Determined to survive, and holding onto hope.
I was too sick with a head cold and fever to attend the service at the Hebrew Center last Friday evening, but joined them in prayer.
This is too heavy for us to bear alone. We are coming together, and together we will rise.
Shannon Gregory Carbon had a 1,000-watt intellect, heart, and smile. And news of her death came as a gut-wrenching shock. My prayers are with her family, friends, and students. I hope the Zoom workshop, “How to Talk to Kids About Sudden Death and Traumatic Events” from the high school helped. I’d like this training, and wonder if something like the Martha’s Vineyard Community Foundation could offer it to the Island. Life brings hard times, and in my experience, resilience builds when what you have been taught also connects you to people you can turn to when the hard events hit.
My friend and Chilmark neighbor, Patti McCracken, lost one of her budgies (a common parakeet) more than a month ago, and as this new season begins, she is starting to look for a new partner for the “surviving spouse.” Please let her know if you have any ideas — you can find her on her author’s Instagram or Facebook pages.
I’ve been determined to welcome opportunities to visit with beloved elder neighbors, and deeply appreciate Tuesday Pizza Night at the Chilmark Community Church, followed by a lively game of Bananagrams. Mum and I stretched our wings and accepted an invitation to the 12:30 Thursdays Lunch from Jennie Gadowski at the Up-Island Council on Aging. To my delight, beloved friends were there too. Finding that there are ways friends and I can drop into each other’s lives is divine.
Laurisa Rich, collaborator with the M.V. libraries and Vineyard Conservation’s Beach BeFriender Initiative, is hosting an Eco Bag Workshop at the Chilmark library, Saturday, Oct. 21, at 3 pm. Help the ocean, help yourself: Make a Beach BeFriender bag out of upcycled and found items. Great for beach or roadside collecting, or as an eco-fashion statement. All materials and instructions provided. Email tthorpe@clamsnet.org for more information. Free, and sponsored by the Friends of the Chilmark Library.
I adore historical novels based on the life of actual individuals, and am looking forward to logging into a virtual author event about Isabella Stewart Garder on Tuesday, Oct. 24 at 7 pm.
This is a Zoom event with author Emily Franklin, where we will dive into her novel, “The Lioness of Boston.” Isabella Stewart Gardner was a daring visionary who created an inimitable legacy in American art, and transformed the city of Boston itself. The book is a portrait of what society expected a woman’s life to be, shattered by a courageous soul who rebelled and determined to live on her own terms. This program will include a passage reading and Q and A with Franklin, so share your questions and comments!
To receive the Zoom invite go to eldredgelibrary.org. Registration is encouraged, as Franklin will answer the questions received in order from the registration forms.
If you have any Chilmark Town Column suggestions, email Claire Ganz, cganz@live.com.