0. WE SONOMANS LIVE in the greatest semi-isolated piece of spacetime findable on this vast and tiny Earth. Here are five reasons why I believe that.
1. Environmental infrastructure: Green hills in winter, golden in summer, wildflowers in the spring, and – partly due to the ubiquitous vineyards – some of the certifiably best autumn foliage that will ever knock out your eyeballs with giddy wonder. (Not to mention Sonoma Plaza, which San Francisco Chronicle columnist Herb Caen once called the most beautiful public square in California.) And all of it available within walking, hiking, or biking distance.
2. Social infrastructure: A friend of mine refers to this place as “the island.” Unlike other Sonoma County population centers, we’re not on any main highways/freeways – so to get here, you have to really want to. And because of that, there’s this fierce community spirit and shared sense that “we’re all we have.” In addition to our many nonprofit and volunteer-built niceties (a feature-rich senior center and independent radio station to name just two), this was most evident during the October 2017 wildfires, where folk used their skills and resources to help their neighbors (and house and feed the many first responders who saved us from a fiery fate).
3. Quality of life: Taking into account the countless farms, restaurants, museums, music and food venues, newspapers, artists and artisans, festivals, markets, parks, charities and benevolent societies, sister-cities, youth programs, tree-lined streets, classic cars, cottage industries, and 1930s-era moviehouse, there’s a reason we call it “Slownoma.”
4. The people: With Sonoma’s estimated population of less than than 11,000, one person really can make a difference. My copilot and I often joke that whenever anything happens anywhere on this planet, someone from Sonoma is there too. (And usually comes back with a story or two to tell.)
5. Reality check: Oh, we’re not perfect: we have our occasional bad crimes, a high cost of living and housing, homelessness and hopelessness, and crushing poverty side-by-side with privileged opulence, just like many other American communities. But we also have goodhearted and competent people working to change or at least ameliorate those problems. Sometimes that may seem a Sisyphean task – but then, Sisyphus couldn’t muster so many cheerful and enthusiastic helpers.