Sometimes, the best thing you can do is to take a walk.
That’s the conclusion from a group of central Kenai Peninsula residents who have organized a series of walks at Soldotna Creek Park in response to the events in Charlottesville, Virginia, where a vehicle alleged to have been driven by a white supremacist crashed into a crowd of counter-protestors, killing one woman.
The walks started as a single event to express a message of love and respect, but organizers decided to keep them going each Wednesday evening through the end of the month. Organizers noted to the Clarion that the walks are not intended to be against anything or anyone, but rather to promote positive messages to the community.
We’re glad to see community members look for positive ways to share such messages. More than ever, we feel the impacts of events around the country, even around the world. The news — good and bad — hits us in real time, but while our reaction can be just as great as those close the scene, we’re still far away when in comes to finding an outlet for those emotions, such as a rally, protest or vigil.
While we can’t easily go join a rally of thousands, we can do things locally to make our community a better place. We can start by volunteering — there are many organizations that would be happy for the help. Schools, the Kenai Peninsula Food Bank, local animal shelters, libraries, the Boys and Girls Club, senior centers — there are all sorts of ways to help. There are plenty of local organizations that do public service projects on a regular basis — Elks, Lions, Eagles, Rotary, Trout Unlimited, Safari Club, the Central Peninsula Hospital Auxiliary, veteran’s organizations, just to name a few.
In other words, if you’ve spent a lot of time lately worrying globally, there are plenty of opportunities to react locally, and make the community a better place in the process.
And if all that’s not enough, we have one more suggestion: try a walk in the park.
