Waiting, watching and learning to dance in the rain

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“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain.” I was talking to a friend on the phone last night, and she had to cut our conversation short because her husband had planned a “date night.” They were taking online dance lessons, which for me perfectly encapsulates the quote above.

Their date night also got me thinking about the storm we are currently in and about all the events that have been canceled around the area–events that bring us together as a community and truly let our personality shine.

The long-standing Wooden Boat Festival was canceled this year, as well as the R2AK. Planners and participants have worked hard all year to prepare for these events.

As a newcomer to the area, I was looking forward to attending all the fun events and getting to know the community, but instead I have locked our office doors to the public.

Summer and fall will definitely look different this year. We will continue waiting to see what happens next, anxiously anticipating the reopening of our area retail, restaurants, bars and services.

What I have learned so far from my time in Port Townsend is that if the community is anything, it’s resilient. When those doors open, whether it’s tomorrow or a month from now, I know the community will be ready to do what it takes to get back to normal.

The team here at The Leader continues to work hard every day to fill pages with copy that is timely and entertains our readers. Our reporters conduct interviews over the phone and our advertising representatives continue to call businesses to see how we can best serve them through advertising.

But just because our approach has changed doesn’t mean we can’t continue to do our best.

This past week, Gov. Jay Inslee started to relax regulations for certain industries including construction, and allow people to enjoy the beautiful outdoors so prevalent here in Washington state. We hope these are the building blocks that allow our economy to heal.

As Jake Beattie with the Maritime Center so eloquently said, “There is an odd kind of calm that I feel when I’m in storms at sea that is similar to what I feel now. Things are high-stake, uncertain, driven by forces far more powerful than I can affect, and those outcomes I can affect will be determined by the ability of the crew and how well prepared the vessel. In situations like these, for me, the difference between panic and calm is the acceptance of the inevitability of the moment and the faith in yourself to weather the storm. The sea is the ultimate reality and metaphor for that, and I can’t think of a better way to teach that than through our programs. It’s what started me down this professional path in the first place and why I look forward to serving more students in the future. Our mission matters.”

The community’s mission matters. While our festivals and community events might not happen this year, they will continue in the future. Instead of waiting for the storm to pass, let’s take this opportunity to learn a lesson or two. Let’s work together to weather this storm. Let’s capitalize on the strength of our businesses, our leaders, our friends and our neighbors. This community has no shortage of artists and creative souls. Let’s take this opportunity to redesign how we work.

The Leader is doing just that. While the Rhody Festival was canceled this year, we aren’t canceling the Rhody Fest Keepsake. Instead we are working to include the festival inside our pages, titled “Looking Back, 85 years of History.” Stay tuned to hear more about what we are planning, and if you have any photos or stories you would like to share, please email me detchey@ptleader.com or give me a call at 360-385-2900.

Stay safe, support your neighbors and local businesses, and together we will come out stronger.

(Donna Etchey is the publisher of the Port Townsend and Jefferson County Leader.)