(More) Words of Inspiration From Ventura’s Own

By Visit Ventura

In difficult times, it’s not easy to see the light. But people do. All the time. And it’s often that optimism that sees us back to the light. Ventura knows this from hard experience. It’s why, now and again, we’ll be publishing the good words of Venturans. Because inspiration is contagious. Ventura Pride isn’t just two words. It’s our town’s reality, forged in very real, very hard times. Meaning we can do it again. My wife and I were taking a sunset walk, quietly speaking of this and that. Should we wear masks? Painters’ gear, bandanas, or torn-up t-shirts? Now and then, a runner loped past and our dog didn’t even bother looking up. The islands loomed out of the blue horizon. Monarch butterflies fluttered from the darkening shrubs, and the big-screen TVs over every fireplace flickered with the latest grim numbers. As we rounded the corner, our neighbor threw open his front door and, for at least a moment, dispelled the gathering gloom. “My duck laid an egg!” he shouted. He was as happy as I’d ever seen him. If he were giving away cigars or doling out hugs, he would have leaped across the lawn and breached the six-foot social-distancing barrier in no time flat. We congratulated him – he said he was already planning a nice breakfast – and we locked ourselves down for the night, smiling. On most days, an egg from a creature other than a brontosaurus would be barely worth mentioning. On this day, it was as if we had scored a case of off-brand toilet paper or a jug of vodka-based hand sanitizer. It was great news and we were delighted to have it! Steve Chawkins. 33-year Ventura resident and retired reporter for the Los Angeles Times Up through mid-March, Island Packers had some amazing trips with elementary and high school students, families, and group organizations on board. The islands were vibrant with vegetation, wildflowers, and mostly blue skies. The marine sightings were very diverse, with thousands of dolphins, Gray Whales, Humpbacks, and even a few Orca sightings (see Island Packers for a detailed list.) March 17th  — when we were told there were no more public trips out to the Channel Islands — was a surprise for everyone, and a major change that I have never experienced in my lifetime. The recent challenges of floods and fires that we were able to manage our way through will help us get through this too if we all work together by following the current health and safety guidelines. Nature is calling out for us to come back, and we all look forward to being out on the ocean and hiking the Channel Islands once again. When restrictions get lifted, we will resume excursions to the Park and Marine Sanctuary in a safe and sustainable manner. In the meantime we are posting a #dailydoseofnature on our social media sites, and you can visit the Park virtually through their webcams.  For now, we need to work together, be calm and stay healthy and positive! #Stay Ventura Strong! Cherryl Connally. Office Manager. Island Packers Cruises “This is unbelievable. We’ve never experienced this in our lives…” Below, Senior Educator and Advocate Suz Montgomery issues two heartfelt messages to the seniors she works with, and gives us all a look at a lovely garden and a lovely outlook on life. “Give to the world the best that you have, and the best will come back to you…” “You are the reason I live,” says Montgomery. A fine thing to think about in these difficult times. Each of us, we all have our loves and our reasons to live. Message From Suz 1 from Rich Sigerist on Vimeo. Message From Suz 4 from Rich Sigerist on Vimeo. Even in these difficult times, there is so much to be grateful for. Visit Ventura has a Gratitude Wall. It’s a simple thing. Post your words, your video, your photos — your shout out of thanks to those doing beautiful, kind, selfless and caring things during these difficult times. So many heroes out there. So post your post. And, when this is past, our Gratitude Wall will be something special, preserved forever. A reminder that the best of humanity always surrounds us.