Count Your Blessings!

It may sound strange to some but winter is the time of year I really appreciate living at the shore.
It’s not because of the cold dismal weather but rather the fact that the tourists are long gone and we’re settled back into the laid back life that those of us that left the Philadelphia area came here for. I’ve been here for 37 years and long ago lost any sentimentality for what I left behind. That includes concerts, sporting events, museums and everything else. If I never saw another big city it would not bother me.
All of us year round residents enjoy the summer activities but most of us tend to hole up a bit during the heart of the season. Now that things have long been back to our normal routine life, it’s a good time to look around and reflect on what we have here and our good fortune.
Few places in the Northeast can surpass the quiet beauty and small town life to be found in Cape May County. I often wonder how many of us realize how lucky we are to live here. I think a lot of us take it for granted and others, like some people everywhere, are never satisfied and would complain no matter where they lived. Most of these seem to be city transplants like myself, rather than natives.
I agree, New Jersey taxes are outrageous and a very legitimate complaint. The local property tax reassessments after the building boom have made it tough for most of us. But believe me though, no matter where you live, they will get you some way.
The complaints I can’t agree with however, are the lack of stores, services, chain restaurants, shopping malls, industry, and bigger and more direct highways.
This “lack of” has always been the way it was in Cape May County, and it has survived for 320 years. If we had all of these things, including the jobs they would create, wouldn’t our area start to resemble the places that we left and wouldn’t we have the problems that go with them?
I’ve heard complaints from new arrivals about our old fashioned draw bridges, that sand blows onto their ocean front property, that a lighthouse beacon flashes into their bedroom window and that their condo (that was build next to a marina) smells like fish. I hear them complain about the noontime fire whistle and believe it or not-church bells.
The most maddening comment from these folks is “Back home we used to do it this way – etc, etc.” Natives especially hate this.
Just stop and think about it for a moment. Here we are only about 85 miles from Philadelphia and 130 from New York City. Both of these cities are plagued by over population, crime, pollution and all of the other horrors of the rat race. You don’t even have to go that far – look at Atlantic City.
Here we are though, on this little peninsula on the southern tip of the most densely populated state, but our county averages only 380 people per square mile. The population increases tremendously during the summer and I know we need this and can tolerate it for three months or so.
Our geographic isolation and the fact that we are hemmed in on all sides by a diverse and beautiful natural environment, are the main reasons we moved here and why we still enjoy a kind of sanctuary in this crowded, hectic world. The county’s narrow mainland is bordered on the east by pristine salt marshes, the beautiful sounds and channels of the inter coastal highway, barrier islands and the great Atlantic. On the west side we have more preserved wetlands and the Delaware Bay.
These surrounding natural borders have brought us and the tourists here but have also protected us from excessive growth and over-development.
Within a short distance from most of us, we can fish, swim, hunt, go boating, birding or just lay back and take in the beautiful vistas. One of the rare and special treats we have is being able to see both a sunrise over water (the ocean) and a sunset over the water (the bay).
Then there’s the great climate. We have always had milder weather than Philadelphia because of the proximity of the Gulf Stream, just off the coast. Now with climate change, the USDA plant hardiness map has been changed, putting us into zone 7B – the same as northeast Virginia.
The winter is also the best time to appreciate the wonderful and diverse little communities we have in Cape May County. In these small towns you can really get to know your neighbors and actually feel part of your community, much more than a big city. You probably even get to know your town’s mayor on a first name basis. My grandmother who lived in North Wildwood for years always referred to it lovingly as “Mayberry by the sea.”
If you have the time and you care to, there are dozens of places for you to volunteer and help out. This is the best way to get involved and to get to know everyone. It’s a very rewarding feeling “to give back,” and in a little community sometimes one person can make a big difference.
You can see wonderful community spirit first hand at your local churches, recreation and senior centers, fire halls, fraternal organizations and at kids sporting events. You can see small town America at its very best especially at the huge turnouts at fundraisers for someone in need or during public emergencies like snowstorms and floods. I’ve seen this many, many times.
So do yourself a favor, especially you unhappy transplants. In the next few days bundle up and take a walk on the boardwalk. Sit down on a bench, breathe in the fresh air and smell the sea, feel the ocean breeze caress your face. Listen to the roar of the ocean, and sound of the gulls. Look out over the best beaches in the world, though now empty. Watch the surf break on the Eastern Continental shelf. Picture Europe 3,000 miles across the wide Atlantic. Think of the millions of Americans who have never even seen an ocean.
Now take a minute to think of the alternative. You could be stuck right now in traffic on the “picturesque” Schuylkill Expressway, breathing in poisonous air, hearing the constant scream of police sirens and wondering if that other sound you hear is a backfire noise or gunshots.
Eventually you get out of the traffic jam and head to, with car doors locked, whatever safe little enclave of the City you call home. When you get there don’t forget to double lock your front door and turn on your alarm.
After this little bit of day dreaming, leave the boardwalk, go to one of your friendly local pubs and warm up with an Irish coffee. Then, take time to count your blessings.