Devoted to You
My trainer, Cliff, plays music from the 50s and 60s while I follow all his commands to lift the impossible. Last week, the Everly Brothers sang, “Darlin’ you can count on me ’til the sun dries up the sea, until then, I’ll always be…devoted to you.
I’ll never hurt you, I’ll never lie, I’ll never be untrue. I’ll never give you reason to cry. I’d be unhappy if you were blue-oo.
Through the years my love will grow. Like a river, it will flow. It can’t die because I’m so…devoted to you.”
So sweet yet so unbelievable.
“You know why women love that song?” I asked Cliff. “Because they wish their man would say something like that to them—but they never do.”
He laughed—I caught him. “Did you ever say anything like that to a woman?”
He had to admit he was just like all the others I had known, “No, never…” but he recovered well, “We just do it. We don’t talk about it.”
I asked women friends at a holiday party, and they agreed, no, they had never heard those sentiments expressed. But they maintained that even though it might be nice to hear those sweet promises, they’d rather have someone who is reliable and considerate and does what’s needed every day.
Laguna is like that Everly Brothers girlfriend, needing a devoted true love. She’s been betrayed plenty with false promises and neglect.
Not appreciated for her character and soul—but for how she can be used to enrich the latest suitor.
There are devoted, true Laguna lovers working sincerely to protect and bring true appreciation to Laguna.
One of those was Barbara Metzger who had so much more in her heart and mind, but, at last, was unable to do any more – stopped by cancer this week. She served and guided Laguna policies on the Design Review Board and the Planning Commission for decades. A professional editor of academic journals, she was generous with her expertise.
Often the voice of Village Laguna in penning letters to City Council and Planning Commission on important decisions to be made, she also wrote the Village Laguna Newsletter. She edited and wrote much of the “Laguna Beach and the Greenbelt” book that was submitted to the National Park Service for our town’s recognition as a Historic American Landscape. Available to advise on any grammar or editing dilemma, she could help writers like me meet word limitations while still keeping the sense of the writing intact. No matter how long a piece was that came across her desk, she’d just ask, “How many words does it have to be?” and it would come back just so.
But this talented woman would do anything to move a cause along. For years, she was responsible for organizing hometown bakers and assembling cookies for the Charm House Tour. Pasting on labels and stamps, folding, sealing and mailing newsletters every month was just some of what she considered part of her Laguna advocate’s life.
Historic preservation was her heartfelt cause, as essential for protecting Laguna’s unique village character. She was a champion of restoring the deteriorating historic Digester building at the Village Entrance, one of only two 1930s WPA projects in Laguna Beach.
The council kept voting to restore it, but somehow, it was delayed—over and over again. Then, it was mistakenly missing from the city’s list of scheduled projects. Our reminders got it back on the list. The last we heard, the project was being held hostage—to be part of a new parking garage project that many oppose. After one of the last hearings on this, Barbara said sadly, “I won’t live to see that building restored.” Unfortunately, she was right.
Barbara saw that living in Laguna is a responsibility and a joy every day. Laguna needs devotion—and willingness to work. Now more than ever, Laguna needs true love.
Ann is a landscape architect and was Laguna Beach’s mayor from 1993 to 1994. She is also a long-time board member of Village Laguna, Inc.
