4 minute read

THE JOY OF BEING WRONG

"Think it sirs, in the bowels of Christ, that thou may be wrong." — Oliver Cromwell

The Honor Farm off Baldwin Road used to be a minimum security detention facility, as you would expect with the name. It opened in 1939 and closed in 2003, once housing as many as 400 inmates, operating as a farm with gardens, fruit trees, pigs, goats, chickens and rabbits. It also held a woodshop with a reputation for first-rate carpentry from the inmates. In 2007, Help of Ojai leased it from the county for $100 and then subleased it out to the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy, C.R.E.W. (Concerned Resource and Environmental Workers) and the Ojai Raptor Center.

My concern at the time was the remoteness of the 42-acre facility would isolate these nonprofit groups from the community. For example, the Land Conservancy office was behind the Arcade in a tiny closet-sized space stacked to the ceiling with land-use agreements, maps, blueprints and archives, and had clearly outgrown itself. But it was also a community center where people came and went, exchanging information and tips and the incidental encounters that are key to a flourishing organization. That would be lost.

At the time, I disputed the plans of then-county supervisor Steve Bennett and we had a few back-and-forths about it, with me criticizing the county for relieving themselves of an obligation at the expense of Ojai's nonprofit groups. However, not for the first time, I was wrong. In fact, it became its own community, with ample space for larger projects, storage space, collaboration especially between the OVLC and the CREW. Help of Ojai coordinates everything smoothly. The Raptor Center's open houses bring in hundreds of people, and the ease of dropping off at the collection site of Help's Second Helpings Thrift Store means a more efficient system for converting unwanted items to wanted, while raising revenue for good causes. It is a village of volunteers.

It does set me to wondering, what else have I been wrong about? Once you let go of your certainties, you open yourself to a world of endless possibilities, growth, and a deeper understanding of the human experience.

Soren Kierkegaard remarked, "People understand me so poorly that they don't even understand my complaint about them not understanding me." This is the essence of our intellectual stubbornness. We become so attached to our beliefs that we fail to recognize our limits. We assume that our understanding of the world is the ultimate truth, dismissing others' views as inconsequential or misguided.

Yet, the pleasures of being wrong lie in the liberation from this self-imposed intellectual confinement. When we allow ourselves to question our preconceived notions, we embark on a journey into the unfamiliar. We cultivate a sense of humility, recognizing that what we know is a droplet in the ocean of human understanding.

Mark Twain wrote, "It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so." Having our minds changed is not a sign of weakness. It requires courage to dismantle the mental constructs we have built. It is also hard work, but it leads to empathy and understanding, exchanging rigidity for serendipity. In a divisive and polarized world (and community), the ability to have our minds changed fosters dialogue, understanding, and the possibility of meaningful progress. By recognizing that our truth is not the only truth, we create space for collaboration and the collective pursuit of knowledge. Empathy, curiosity and possibility result. The alternative is dark.

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Concerts Podcasts

JULY 7

Lyle Lovett

Date: Friday

Time: Gates open at 5 p.m.

Show starts at 7 p.m.

Location: Libbey Bowl

210 South Signal Street

Contact: LibbeyBowl.org

The Texas troubadour returns to Ojai where he recorded several albums. According to Esquire magazine: “The secret of Lyle Lovett’s endurance comes down to the three C’s: class, charisma and consistency... he’s spent two decades gracefully matching genuine songcraft with A-list musicianship.”

JULY 13

Happy Together Tour: The Turtles, Little Anthony, Gary Puckett & The Union Gap, The Vogues, The Classics IV, The Cowsills

Date: Thursday

Time: Gates open at 5 p.m.

Show starts at 7 p.m.

Location: Libbey Bowl

210 South Signal Street

Contact: LibbeyBowl.org

The Happy Together Tour is back in 2023! The touring sensation that has criss-crossed the nation delighting audiences for over a decade returns this summer with a show full of chart-topping hits from the ‘60s and ‘70s – an undeniable 61 Billboard Top 40 smashes.

JULY 21

Al Jardine’s Family & Friends Tour

Date: Friday

Time: Gates open at 5 p.m.

Show starts at 7 p.m.

Location: Libbey Bowl

210 South Signal Street

Contact: LibbeyBowl.org

Beach Boys co-founder joins bandmates’ daughters Wendy and Carnie Phillips with songs and stories from his seven decades of musical adventure.

AUGUST 6

Chris Isaak

Date: Sunday

Time: Gates open at 5 p.m. Show starts at 7 p.m. Location: Libbey Bowl

210 South Signal Street

Contact: LibbeyBowl.org

The reverb-laden rockabilly revivalist comes to Ojai with his catalog of songs including “Wicked Game” and “Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing.”

Recurring Events

JUNE 3, 10, 17 &24

Historical Walking Tours of Ojai

Date: Every Saturday

Time: 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Location: canvas & paper gallery Museum, 130 West Ojai Avenue. Contact: 640-1390

JULY 9

Coffee & Cars

Dates: Second Sundays of the month

Times: 8 to 10 a.m.

Location: Westridge Market parking lot Come check out classic and luxury cars from the area’s proudest collectors. Have a chance to learn from the owners about the history and importance of some of the world’s most incredible automobiles.

JULY 12, 19, 26

Ojai Summer Band Concerts

Dates: Wednesdays

Times: 7:30 to 9 p.m.

Location: 210 South Signal Street, Libbey Park.

The Ojai Rotary-West continues the tradition of family-friendly music from the Ojai Band, with as many as 40 local musicians.

THURSDAYS

“ Ojai: Talk of the Town” Podcast New episodes come out Thursday evenings through OjaiHub.com newsletter. Guests have included Malcolm McDowell on the 50th anniversary of “A Clockwork Orange,” and Sergio Aragonés on his 60 years as a cartoonist at Mad Magazine. With more than 150 hour-long episodes, the Ojai podcast is an important part of our community’s collective wisdom and insight. Sign up at OjaiHub.com for a free newsletter of Ojai events, news, arts, entertainment, history and culture.

Domonic Breaux

BY SARAH MONKS

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