The time has come

The time has come, the Walrus said,

to talk of many things:

Of shoes – and ships – and sealing-wax

Of cabbages – and kings.

Those lines are from “The Walrus and the Carpenter” by Lewis Carroll. Yes, the time has come for me to say a farewell of sorts. My journey leads me now to a new job at the university here in town.

As editor of El Defensor Chieftain, I have had the privilege and pleasure of meeting so many of you – either incognito as I self-checked at Walmart or pumped my gas at the corner station, or as editor when I covered a meeting or event. Wearing the “editor goggles” helped me see in just a short period of time what makes Socorro tick, and that it is anything but a sleepy wayside town off I-25.

Most recently, I have covered the mental health folks here in town, and met such amazing and lively people who truly care for others, especially those who have limited resources or access to services. There’s an article on page 1 about it.

One of these providers mentioned the “barrel of monkeys” model for help and recovery. Remember that game of plastic monkeys with the curved arms? The game was to make a chain of monkeys by reaching back to pick up the one below. Socorro, you play this game well. The chains of help can be seen all over town. Socorro does mean help, after all.

I’m not leaving town, though. I’m eager to continue rooting for the young athletes showcased in the Fall Sports Preview in the B Section this week. The Performing Arts Series and the busy live music scene surely have my attention.

The Owl Bar is still on my list of things to do, as is another trip to the Bosque Del Apache. I have yet to visit the Mineral Museum or go to a Star Party at the observatory.

The fiber arts folks warmly welcomed me and nearly chanted “one of us, one of us!” when I met up with them last week.

I’m now a member of the Rotary Club International and looking forward to working on those programs and projects.

The elections are coming up and important things will be said. I hope to be part of that conversation. Even if I’m not editor, I’m a citizen, voter, and neighbor.

A golden crescent moon hung over M Mountain the other night. It was just past sundown and in that moment, I realized that the M is lighted. I wonder what other little moments and gems there are to discover here. The time has come to find out.