CHASING DOWN THE MUSE:Where are the young faces?

“Grow old with me! The best is yet to be … “ – Robert Browning

Dear Kendall,

Autumn weather brings such beautiful morning and evening light here to Laguna. I think I would truly miss it if I were elsewhere at this time of year. Sure, the changing color of trees in the east where you are now living is stunning, but I think I just like to chase the light. And that is here now.

One of the gifts of not going on the planned trip to Loreto this month has been the glories of the mornings and evenings. As the days shorten, I have found myself deep in appreciation of the light that glows all around me at the beginning and end of these days.

This morning, I was off to the beach for a walk while it was still dark. The reward of this early outing was to watch the light seep into the eastern morning sky. It colored and brightened the edges of a smattering of morning clouds. The contrast against that early blue was fantastic. It warmed my heart and energized my spirit.

Another gift has been going beyond “g’morning” to actual conversation with a delightful, intelligent young man named Tom Stellar, who is about your age. His bright smile reminds me of you. Tom and his lovely wife, Katherine, also have a young son, Luke, and something you don’t have there in the city: a dog, Roxy.

Our moving from morning greeting to conversation began because of something I had read in the local paper. In a fund-raising pitch, the Senior Center had published that by the year 2010, one out of three people living in Laguna Beach would be 60 years old or older.

Can this be true? Have the demographics changed so much? What will this do to diversity, already struggling to exist, I wondered. It nagged at me.

I started looking around on my morning walks in the gorgeous light. It did seem there were a plethora of “older” folks. I suppose I had assumed — had I thought of it at all — that this was because retired folks have the time for these morning forays.

There were young people, too — mostly running, but young, nevertheless. Were there enough to balance?

Simply to acquire some anecdotal information, I stopped to talk with Tom on a recent Sunday morning. Katherine was with him this day, as were Luke and Roxy. “If I may be bold, can I ask you some questions? I began by explaining what I had read; then, the questions. “Do you rent? Do you own?”

The answers came easily. Tom and Katherine own their home here. They both work. Tom was raised here; Katherine in San Juan Capistrano. I breathed a small sigh of relief. These, at least, were young people who might stay in town.

On another day, Tom and Roxy and I matched steps as we continued the conversation begun earlier. We spoke of schools attended, work, and choices. We exchanged information and ideas and, as we talked, I found myself missing you even more. I wish you and your family could be part of this younger generation in town.

I know you moved to New York in part for the diversity it offers. Selfishly, I wish you were here to help provide us with some of that same diversity.

You know I think change is a good thing. I’ve preached this often enough. But the change that finds one in three residents over the age of 60 seems stagnant to me.

Our community needs residents of all ages, all colors, all nationalities. It needs a mix of stores that serve all the needs. It needs continued diversity of opinion and lively, respectful discourse. It needs affordable housing for all.

I value and respect the friendship, comfort, and wisdom of the “older” generation. Yet, I also delight in the stimulating energy and insights of the young. Like the autumn light, it is refreshing and uplifting. I hope we can create and retain a balance here in Laguna Beach.

Well, the warm glow of evening light calls to me now as I close this letter to you with the hope that it finds all three of you well.

Hugs to all,

Ma

P.S. I love you