Ordinary into Remarkable

When David Marzetti invited me to join him on his Sunday KMBY radio show at Little Napoli, I thought it would be a great way to update residents on the goings on at City Hall. I doubt either of us expected I'd still be participating at 10:30 am with Frank Sinatra songs more than fifty weeks later. What I also didn't expect was that the more I talked, the more I found myself listening.

This shift toward listening has shaped my perspective, whether I'm hosting guests on the air, drafting this column, or sitting at the Council table. Each experience serves as a reminder that there is always more happening in Carmel than most of us realize.

Writing this Pine Cone column changed my perceptions in an interesting way. Instead of simply asking myself, "What happened the last two weeks?" I began asking, "What did I learn about Carmel?" Putting thoughts on paper has a way of slowing you down and helping you understand what really matters.

The Council Chamber

Then there's the Council chamber. At least twice a month I have the privilege of listening to residents, commissioners, staff, and my fellow council members wrestle with difficult issues. I arrive prepared but without my mind made up. I learn from the public and my peers and, however the votes go, I've learned that good decisions begin with listening.

Those three experiences, the radio show, this column, and Council meetings, have changed how I see my days now. They've taught me to keep my eyes open to find opportunities.

The Guests Who Prove It

I'm always wondering whose story hasn't been told. I notice the volunteer out early before anyone else arrives. I stop to ask a contractor or City worker about a project they are working on. Or an artist in a gallery about their latest painting. The best stories, I've learned, rarely begin in the spotlight.

Over the past year, these conversations introduced me to Volunteers in Policing watching over our village, a Carmel Cares graffiti removal volunteer founding Carmel Owls, an artist who spent twenty-one years as a critical care nurse before finding healing through creativity, and the nonprofit leaders and entrepreneurs who simply saw a problem or opportunity.

At first glance they don't have much in common. But, after fifty weeks, one thing about all of them became obvious. None waited for someone else. They simply stepped forward.

Someone Did It For Me

That quiet habit runs through Carmel like the underground streams beneath our village, mostly unseen, but giving life to everything above. One guest said something I'll never forget. I asked why they devoted so much time to work that most people would never notice.

They smiled and said, "Because someone did it for me before I got here."

I've thought about that answer often. Every generation inherits a Carmel shaped by people they'll never meet. Trees were planted long before we enjoyed their shade. Trails were maintained by volunteers we'll never know. Traditions were started by people who believed they should leave things a little better than they found them. Now, it's our turn.

Now It's Our Turn

What began as a broadcast update has evolved into a lesson in understanding. Combining those Sunday conversations with writing this column and listening around the Council table, something shifts. You begin to see Carmel differently. You notice the people who quietly repair, encourage, and serve, and you realize communities aren't shaped only by big decisions. They're shaped every day by small acts that almost no one notices.

Perhaps the most enduring truth I've found is that extraordinary people come to Carmel, and then commit themselves to quietly doing the ordinary things that make this place remarkable.

To hear a podcast generated from this column, visit cli.re/remarkable.

Dale ByrneMayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea

dbyrne@cbts.us