Welcome to January 2025

Channeling my inner weeble

This year is off to a wobbly start, in more ways than one. I know I had planned to tell you the next chapter of my transformational life journey. But, hey, what’s a plan anyway? You make one and next thing you know, nature comes along and tells you you’re not going to do that right now. So, you adjust and adapt and amend your plan.

That is not a wobble, you might be thinking. That is just a fact of life. But hear me out.

A couple of weeks ago I had this wild thing happen during a Pilates class. I had a crazy violent attack of vertigo that was truly frightening. Had it not been for the instructor and a random woman in the class who jumped up to catch me, I’d have fallen hard and been injured.

Why do I have vertigo? Who knows? But that’s not important. This random woman, with a fabulous hippy name her parents gave her - which I won’t tell you for her privacy – sat behind me after she caught me and eased me to the floor and put her arms around me in a bear hug, keeping me upright. She even held the trash can for me as the nausea from my head spinning caused my stomach to heave. She was so kind and so grounded; she kept me calm. She was my angel. And no, good try, but that’s not her name.

I found out later she is a breast cancer survivor, proud of her altered, double mastectomy chest. And truly she has one of the happiest dispositions of anyone I’ve ever met. She’s a magnet and she’s drawn me to her. And I’m so grateful. And wobbly. Literally.

And then the world around me actually wobbled. You may have heard a little tidbit in the news about us here in Southern California. In case you’ve been in a cave somewhere, I’ll fill you in: we have been on fire. And not in a good, Alicia Keys kind of way.

There have been so many devastating and tragic stories. My heart, and likely yours, can’t take much more of that. When something bad happens and you feel so helpless, it’s easy to lose faith. I prefer to think about Mr. Rogers and his advice to “look for the helpers”. Sadly, Mr. Rogers is no longer here. But you know who are still here? The helpers.

In the last few months as I’ve been focused on my own physical and emotional recovery, I’ve been so lucky to come across some spiritually generous people. Like the woman in Pilates. And I’m still not going to tell you her name.

Every day I encounter regular people who inspire me and they are heroes in their own right. Some in a quiet way, just doing their thing, not knowing the impact they are having. And some in such a badass way, you can’t help but be in awe. And focusing on them, like I focused on my hippy hero and her soothing voice, helps me balance against the wobbly. Here are a few examples for you.

Heroes of self-care:

I just met a lovely woman who wanted to work for herself and opened a new, and may I say wonderful, wellness/infrared sauna in the town where I live called The Heated Room (@theheatedroomcamarillo on Instagram). I’m so impressed with her vision, her enthusiasm, her bravery, and her courage as she steps out on her own. Not only is she following her dream, she is doing it by providing a service of wellness and healing to others. She is a beacon and inspiration to me as I plan out the next chapter of my life and try to find stability.

Heroes of social media:

Now I know there aren’t many folks on social media who fit in that category. But there is this guy on Instagram and his brand of art with humor gives me just enough spark to keep me grounded. And that’s a real gift. I honestly don’t know a lot about him, but his name is Daren. He’s not an activist or anything so lofty, just a real person and talented artist keeping things in perspective. I bought a few things from his shop on Instagram (@realfunwow) and got a chuckle out of the fact that my shipment had a fortune cookie in it. The next day when I cracked the cookie open and found his own special brand of “fortune” inside, I laughed out loud. Who doesn’t love a cynical guru, with just the right mix of spirituality and snark?

Heroes of the community:

Now anyone in the equine community can tell you that sometimes it’s a tough crowd. They disagree and will argue about just about anything. Mention a particular bit and you will hear from advocates for a particular one and just as many adamantly opposed to that particular one. And of course, you’ll hear plenty from those who think any bit is a travesty. You want to kick up some dust at a horse gathering? Ask if you should blanket your horse or not. Whooee, let me tell you…feathers will fly.

But this same community, when crisis hits, will come together like no other. A call goes out for help and within minutes caravans of trailers and trucks and volunteers will be on their way to your front door. It’s amazing to watch all these badasses put their differences aside and roll right into the fires to help.

An example of this is Maya and Kalli of Viva Rescue (@vivaglobalrescue on Instagram). I met them a few years ago when they were just really starting up their small rescue in Menifee. They were following their hearts and doing what matters to them most in the world. They are so dedicated to doing things the right way and to supporting their community. Not only do they rescue (horses, goats, sheep, birds, pigs, a whole menagerie) but they run animal care training clinics, free sessions where you can have your animal chipped, meditation sessions, yoga (probably with goats!), art classes, craft fairs, you name it. They didn’t just build a ranch based on love, they walked that love right out into world and shared it.

When the fires kicked up in Los Angeles, it didn’t matter that they are a couple of hours away in another county, they hooked up their big trailers, lined up volunteers to run their rescue, grabbed other volunteers to come with them and hit the road. They’ve fielded thousands of calls for help and have evacuated hundreds of horses and other animals.

The last few days they’ve been taking requests from people who couldn’t get home to get their pets, or couldn’t find them before they had to run. Desperate for help, these people are reaching out to someone, anyone, who is allowed behind the police barriers to go to their house and find their loved ones.

In too many cases, Viva Rescue has gone to the provided address and found nothing but devastation. They then have to be the ones to tell the homeowners that their home, and their pets, are gone.

I can’t imagine what that takes out of them, the mark it leaves on their huge hearts.

But they keep going just to get that one win. Like the cat who was still alive in the garage, injured but okay. And another that had made it out of the house before it burned and they were able to catch it, though it was not happy to be rescued and scratched them to bits. And, my personal favorite, they found a pond, choked with falling ash, stocked with koi fish. And they rescued them! All of them!

They’ll be in the fire zones for weeks with traps trying to find animals that made it out but are lost. Because that is who they are. That is how much love they have to share.

So look…it’s January 2025. And Whooee, it’s been wobbly. It’s hard to find balance. I’m no Mr. Rogers but my advice is the same. Look for the helpers. In small ways and big ways, they are out there, and they are getting things done.

Those are my three today. Feel free to call out some of yours in the comments.

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Instagram links and other info mentioned in this story:

• The Heated Room @theheatedroomcamarillo

• Daren Thomas Magee @realfunwow

• Viva Rescue @vivaglobalrescue

For more information about Viva Rescue, check their website at www.vivaglobalrescue.org
If you’d like to support their current evac and rescue efforts, you can donate
via Venmo @vivarescuedonations
or Zelle 310-808-5943