BOX SEAT: Consider giving on this most special day
Here's wishing a very merry Christmas to everyone. We who reside in the midstate do indeed have much for which to be merry.
When it comes to theater, music, art and other enriching pursuits, we have it beyond good. I can recall when I first started writing this column back in 1980 that some weeks material could be a bit sparse, but those days are long gone.
Spreading the news does wonders, and the advent of Out & About, the Macon Arts Alliance publications and other information outlets has led to the abundance of today.
Yet we must be mindful that our riches exist largely as the result of our commitment to nourish the things that matter. These things don't stay "fixed." Very likely your mailbox is chock full of pleas for end-of-the-year giving. On this day of all days, let us give ourselves a present by making even a modest donation to any of the organizations that enrich our lives -- and lives throughout the community -- be they museums, theaters, music, sponsors or performing groups.
REMEMBER OUR YOUTH
As we reach for our checkbooks, let us especially remember the young people among us. We often say that Christmas is for kids, and certainly our future hinges on the young. The Youth Actors Company, Macon Little Theatre Kids Camp, the Backlot's Own Original Youth Actors and many other similar organizations hold the key to our future.
It is not enough to keep these groups thriving, it is important that all facets of the community feel welcome. Yes, we have -- metaphorically speaking -- a vast buffet spread before us, but it is essential that the entire community be nourished.
In this regard, good things continue to happen. The Otis Redding Foundation is said to be expanding its music program into a year-round operation.
On Forsyth Street, Little Carnegie of the South is enlarging to become "Trilogy," comprising three houses and expanded programming, including lectures as well as performances.
SCHOOL BREAK
Most school kids are free until Jan. 5, making this an ideal time for an educational excursion. Consider visiting the Ocmulgee National Monument here in Macon or the National Center for Civic and Human Rights in Atlanta. Another good bet is "Habsburg Splendor" at the High Museum in Atlanta. Money's tight? The Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site in Atlanta is free.
Contact Larry Fennelly at LarryFennelly@avantguild.com.
This story was originally published December 24, 2015 at 3:58 PM with the headline "BOX SEAT: Consider giving on this most special day ."