Around Edmond: Merry Christmas everyone! Saying hello to 2021, finally.

Hi everyone! I am so glad you all loved the 12th Annual Christmas Light guide mainly promoted online this year, even though it was light on displays. 2020 has been a year that none of us will forget, and for EdmondActive it was frustrating because we are distributed on the street at shops, restaurants and bars.

So in March then again in late August, I made the decision to bring all content that would have gone into print publications excluding lack of events, and share within our social networks of over 35,000 local residents. This year, EA at all platforms reached over 1,300,000 unique people. I don’t have words for the continued following of our followers, but have so much appreciation because along with these numbers, our engagement level has been at its highest level in 12 years. You all are not only following, but participating and I couldn’t be more grateful, especially this year.

I didn’t want to tell more people to go out and seek out the magazine, because I didn’t want to propel more folks to get out without masks, which is completely not in line with my business model, nor in line for those only looking to place print only advertising this year.

Finally in September our city leaders decided to bring a mask ordinance and that oddly came with blow back from a very vocal minority, it appears it was done too late and now Covid’s community spread in our community is out of control according to the White House Covid Task Force.

This year has taught me that many of the people in our town wanted to act for the good of the many, but it seemed fruitless with so many not caring about others, whether they thought because they had Covid, they couldn’t spread it or catch it again (not proven scientifically), or just thought herd immunity would somehow naturally take place (it hasn’t).

Wearing a mask prevents the veracity to which you can contract the disease, but lessens not removes community spread so that our hospitals don’t become over run. It’s not about fear, it’s about preventing such an out of control situation that a full shut down is necessary. And, it appears we are riding back up on such a situation.

This season, I hope very few of us have to be admitted to any of our local hospitals. One gentleman from Edmond stated the ICU’s are in such dire shape, his mother who has Covid had to be flown to Mercy in Missouri. This is the exact reason scientific leaders have been pleading for us not to travel, hang out with or celebrate holidays with other’s outside of our households. Point blank.

Again. It’s not political. It’s not fear of living. It’s about personal responsibility. I’m so happy about vaccines coming out, but for a few months, this will too be too little without everyone wearing masks to curb the rate of community spread. It appears to be almost over once about 70% of the population is vaccinated and then and only then will we reach herd immunity.

I’ve oddly been told what I have just said is propaganda. No. It’s science. I happen to believe science over either political party’s bizarre conspiracy theories so if you like me but feel the need to “stick up for me” in any other setting, please don’t. It’s not necessary. And. If you find yourself hearing anything about my beliefs, please direct the comment to me or the person who is disparaging myself and my beliefs to me, and believe that I can heartily defend myself, especially to those who aren’t brave enough to approach me directly.

I am looking forward to a brighter 2021, full of events, lively night life at any one of our newest venues, to be able to get out to all of the shops again without worrying about those without masks causing out of control community spread of a novel virus no one knows much about, and to be able to get back to excitedly telling all of you to rush out to pick up the latest print issue of EdmondActive Magazine!

For those in our community that are in the same situation or just believe in science, hang on and just be patient and we can all celebrate for months when this is all over and done with. For those that don’t believe the virus is actually real, hang on and when this is all over, maybe we can then talk about our political differences with some maturity that includes believing that science isn’t the government’s way of controlling us, sound good? (This theory makes my head hurt and renders me speechless, tbh.)

Enough with the theories, though, as much as I appreciate all of you following. I was accused of spreading propoganda this week by suggesting everyone visit Citizen’s Bank of Edmond’s Curbside Santa with masks on, and then lambasted for promoting a man who smokes tobacco. She must be fun at kid’s parties. I never thought of Santa this way, only suggested to my son’s that he was Jesus’ birthday party planner. Nothing more or less. And, in their 20’s, my sons don’t smoke tobacco or choose not to smoke tobacco based on who purportedly brought them Christmas gifts.

I am excited to be hosting the online forum at EdmondActive at Facebook that the Edmond Rotary Club is holding for Edmond candidates running in February and April of 2021 whether for City Council or Mayor. Keep your eye out for more information on this exciting opportunity to learn more about local candidates!

That is it for me this year. And hope you enjoyed some insight as to what is going on around EdmondActive. I hope to not have this much excitement again for awhile, and will be back to work full time on and after January 4, 2021, so that I may spend time with my family, without worrying about my business, to which I intend to continue working on for at least the next ten years, thanks to support from local businesses, and my husband.

Merry Christmas and remember, this is Jesus’ Birthday, and that is something to behold. On that we can all agree, right?

Much love,

Sherri