Al Zagofsky, publisher
Al’s career includes work as: an engineer, a project manager, a raft guide, a publisher, a journalist, a bodywork/massage practitioner, and an Alexander Technique teacher. He plays guitar and banjo and enjoys songwriting.
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A Better Way
A Better Way
Lately, things just haven’t been working out quite the way I’d hoped—especially since moving to the Sacramento area. It’s been a bit of a dry spell when it comes to finding the right group, the right vibe, or just the right fit.
One by one, the groups I’ve joined left me feeling a little out of sync. The latest was a writing group that encouraged fast writing with a ballpoint pen on paper. Only problem? I didn’t own a ballpoint pen—and the only paper I had was for my printer.
I had a brief flashback to the early days of my writing life, maybe half a century ago, when I favored a fountain pen. I just missed the quill era—though my elementary school desks still had inkwells. But since the iconic year of 1984, I’ve been tapping away on a computer. Now, writing in a hurry by hand? Not only is it uncomfortable, I can’t even read my own scribbles.
I tried a bike group next. I enjoy my one-mile neighborhood loop almost every day. Before my knee started complaining, I was doing four miles in the late morning. But this group kicked off their first ride at 6 a.m. for 30 miles. Let’s just say I hit the brakes on that one.
Then there was the big community group I joined for a few years. Nice people, but it became too much—difficult registration software, crowded parking lots, and a confusing shift to hybrid meetings. Zoom, in-person, both at once... information overload!
So, I turned to someone I trust—my daughter. I shared my growing list of misadventures. She listened, nodded, and gave me a perfect piece of advice.
“Dad,” she said, “you’re probably not going to find something that makes you happy. What you need to do is start your own version of whatever you want.”
She’s a consultant who helps people navigate that murky space between frustration and opportunity. “That’s what you taught me,” she added.
She was absolutely right.
Take this very publication, *California Update*. I started it 20 years ago in Pennsylvania when I was a journalist frustrated by the local newspaper’s editorial slant. They leaned conservative; I leaned liberal. It didn’t always go over well.
So in 2005, with the internet on the rise, I launched my own publication—*Jim Thorpe Today*. It later evolved into *Carbon County Magazine*, and when I moved west, it became *California Update*.
More recently, I’ve been noodling around on guitar—and now, banjo—writing original songs and playing Americana and folk gospel music, Pete Seeger-style. I looked for a group where I could share that joy. I found a nice club out in Folsom—but they were all about ukuleles.
So I bought a baritone ukulele. It’s tuned like the top four strings of a guitar, so not a huge leap. The people were great, but the drive was long, they weren’t very into my original tunes, and—let’s be honest—I never really bonded with the ukulele.
So, I started my own jam group—and I’m loving it.
Still, one of my favorite groups of all time was one I co-founded in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania. Along with two creative kindred spirits, we launched a Renaissance Club. We gathered monthly with a small group to share TED-style talks about ideas, projects, or just whatever sparked our curiosity. In our small Appalachian town, it felt like opening a window and letting in fresh air.
Now, I’m thinking it might be time to revive the Renaissance Club idea—right here in Sacramento. (Not to be confused with the Renaissance Society at Sac State.)
So let’s wrap with two takeaways:
First, if you don’t like what’s out there—start your own.
And finally, if you’re interested in helping launch a Renaissance Club, I’d love to hear from you. Just drop me an email.
Here’s to all of us finding a better way.
~ Al Zagofsky
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