Dear Readers,
Many of us have experienced several unexpected “firsts” in our lives over the past month. This first-ever combined issue of Chevy Chaser and Southsider Magazines is certainly one for us. For a number of reasons, it made sense for the Smiley Pete Publishing team to combine two of our publications into a single print issue this month. We like to think of it as our “Get Through This Together” issue, in true #TeamKentucky spirit.
CC/SS Combined Issue Cover May 2020
The theme of this month’s issue is Home & Garden. While that theme, which was set last fall along with the rest of this year’s editorial calendar, feels in some ways incongruous with the heaviness of the moment, in other ways it feels just right. It’s safe to say that we have all grown more familiar with the concept of “home” than we ever thought we would, and tending to the things that we have influence over in and around our living space has been a natural move for many.
In “The Show Must Go On,” we examines ways the local music industry has adapted and reacted to the pandemic, and it was heartening to see a common thread among many of the local musicians featured. Several reported having stumbled into an unexpected place of peace and introspection, in the midst of the overwhelming hardships and uncertainties.
By no means is this to suggest that things aren’t still hard. Navigating a mysterious, dangerous and highly contagious disease, while trying to keep the pillars of our society intact, remains one of the biggest challenges we’ve ever faced, and it is affecting all of us in deep and very different ways. The universe is asking something very grave of us, each of us forced to decipher what exactly it is asking of us — and what toll it will ultimately take. Despite the overwhelming plethora of information, there are still very few answers to many of our most pressing questions.
In honor of the people in Kentucky who have died from COVID-19, Governor Andy Beshear has encouraged Kentuckians to light their houses in green: the color of compassion and renewal. Photo furnished.
But as we move into this next phase of the crisis — adapting to a “new normal,” as some are calling it — I sincerely hope that you are slowly finding ways to incorporate some peaceful and enjoyable moments into your daily routine. Maybe that’s by allowing yourself to eat however much ice cream you feel like on any given day or reveling in the notion of possibly never wearing jeans again, or by scheduling a virtual therapy appointment or cleaning out the dusty corners of your life that have been neglected for too long. I hope that you are finding meaningful ways to connect with others, and more importantly, with yourself.
And I hope that, regardless of your politics, you can find some comfort in our governor’s mantra that, “we will get through this, together” — even if we don’t yet know when.
We’d love to hear how you are doing. Please reach out if you have any comments, or stories you’d like to share with us.
Sincerely,
Saraya Brewer
saraya@smileypete.com