Happy Holidays!
A Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah and in general -- happy holidays to you all. This is a time where I reflect a lot on what I am thankful for and the ability to discuss with my community, the events of today -- is something I am truly thankful for. Also, thanks to all of you for supporting BlogaBarbara -- I never dreamed we would have such a large readership two years ago. I appreciate your attention and time -- and wish you and yours a happy, peaceful holiday season....
posted by Sara De la Guerra | 12/24/2006 04:58:00 PM
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7 Comments:
Thanks, as well, to you Sara. Who would have guessed that an award winning, local institution like the News Press would become so spectacularly unimportant in the undertanding of local issues? While I have many problems with the Blogs, instant feedback from citizens is exciting. It proves Rumsfelds point that "democracy is messy". Maybe not quite how he meant it, but............
Anyway, Merry Christmas Sara.
Sal Si Puedes
Sara,
You are a blessing and boon to Santa Barbara. Thank you for this great blog. Many readers appreciate your thoughtful and provocative moderation.
Best wishes from your friends in journalism.
Thanks for the good words -- democracy is messy and is is not a spectator sport.
Your friends in journalism?? Oops Sara, you're endanger of being exposed!
Yes "democracy is messy," especiallly when it is hanging by a thread.
sara de la guerra, thanks so much for this blog. Opinion really matters. Regardless if I agree or disagree with an opinion, at least through this blog, I can perhaps know how and why we have the opinions we have.
I have to tell you though your wish for a happy and peaceful holiday is increasingly difficult.
Aside from this supposed "war on terror," which is continuously distressfull, I am finding it increasingly difficult to find peace, even here in our visually peacefull community.
Each year I find an extemporaneous excursion for the winter soltice.
I started out late in late evening Christmas Eve. I pedaled toward one of my favorite spots off San Rogue road to enjoy this parition of earth, away from the lights, noise and air pollution.
I felt instantly assaulted for several blocks. The asault was from a house party near the Greenwell Acres area at Modoc and Las Positas roads. I was expecting a ride of exclusivty as it was around ten at night and usually the city on Christian Christmas Eve is subdued.
The unwanted pounding of bass filled the air. I attempted to accept and adjust to the tempo of the music. I felt off balance and I could hardly ride as the percussion of the party seemed to rob every energy cell.
It was not until I was several blocks past the party, near Adams School, that I was getting back on track to where I could enjoy the soltice and sacredness of our earth.
After laying down my bike and hiking for a bit on a framilar trail off San Rogue Road I emotionally and thankfully arrived. A fantastic site.... peacefull, pitch black and yet full of light from stars.
While there, I prayed that our earth can triumph in retaining some level of balance in our quests to use and consume. Usually, I obtain a sense of confirmation but I did not get a confirmation this time.
Eventually, I accepted our earth's silence and deeply inhaled and then exhaled the clean and cool night air and then headed down the hill. I felt great.
As I headed back home, I was exceptionally emotional and could not help but notice the visual changes to the landscape on the return.
Home by home there were many changes. Multiple and expanding stories, new gorges in the earth, blinding lights and many more four-wheelers hugging the street where just a few years ago had been clear.
As I passed State Street... I was amazed at how, comparitivley, little had changed. Just as that thought occured, off in the distance, I started to hear a noise or a roar.
I instintctively pedaled a bit faster hoping to outrun an impending aural disturbance or what felt like an aural assault.
Somewhere near Adams School, the confrontation occured. I felt as I had lost. It is somewhat a fog, however, all I could do was pull over into a dirt parkway and take cover from the assault.
I could only assume the assualt was a grandfatherly type riding a motorcycle...perhaps Santa on a Harley?
It was just after Mid-Night...it was Christmas day. I could not move for what seemed like several minutes. As I recovered I could still detect the assault continue, at what I calculated was Turnpike Road.
I have been eagerly adding yours and other news sources to my "AJAX" powered home page and I feel I will have a good command of local news in 2007 -- much better than I used to have when I just read the daily. You've led a great pack of citizen journalists. Makes me think that those old schoolers at Time, Inc. did a good thing by naming the collective citizens as person-of-the-year. Thank you and all who joined in on your great site.
Don Lubach
Thanks Sara for hosting this blog.
You have keep the public informed of events going on in the area and provided a forum for those to speak out and voice their opinion openly.
All the Best for the New Year and your blog.
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