I Did Survive

I’ve always thought those t-shirts emblazoned with “I survived…” (whatever it was you were doing) were sort of pointless. Someone boasting “I survived Mt. Everest” begs the question, “Why did you go there to begin with? Did someone really have a gun to your head?” I saw a shirt in a catalog recently that said: “I survived parenthood.” Now, anyone who is a parent knows that’s not true because that’s a job that never ends.
Not believing in the “I survived…” tagline, however, didn’t keep me from thinking the same thing Aug. 6, the day of our annual Craft Beer & Crab Festival.
This is an event which we at the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC) have sponsored for five years now. It grows in popularity and the enthusiasm of those attending and it’s for such a good cause.
“Causes” are a big thing with non-profit organizations. Behind the day-to-day operations, the trolley tours we offer or the historic sites we maintain and open to the public is a mission statement. Ours reads “The Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities is a multifaceted not-for-profit organization committed to promoting the preservation, interpretation, and cultural enrichment of the Cape May region for its residents and visitors.”
Wow! That’s a mouthful, but really quite understandable when you think of what we do here in Cape May County. The preservation (and interpretation) of our three historic sites – the 1879 Emlen Physick Estate, the 1859 Cape May Lighthouse and the World War II Lookout Tower – are the backbone of this statement.
But how do crabs and craft beer fit into that picture? Those who attended this festival and bought food and drink helped us fulfill our mission. Events like this provide the funds we need to do what we do. This particular event benefits our educational outreach mission. Thanks to last year’s festival, in the 2015-2016 school year we provided 304 free programs and tours to more than 20,000 students in 35 area schools. Free to the schools, free to the teachers, free to the students.
We tend to think, in our digital age, that kids have no interest in anything that doesn’t fit in the palm of your hand and connects you instantly to everyone everywhere. It’s both refreshing and gratifying to our museum educators who bring an entirely different world view to these youngsters through our school programs or on-site tours, to find out kids do have an interest in our history. We provide a way to connect with our past, the history that made us who we are and the kids love it. In today’s throw-away world, it’s just plain awesome that the Cape May Lighthouse, for instance, is still here and working just as well as the year it was built. Kids get this and appreciate its significance.
But, without crabs, without events and tours in which you participate, it couldn’t happen, so for that, we offer our heartfelt appreciation.
I did survive, on one of the hottest days of this summer, although I admit there were times when I wondered why I was out in the sweltering heat handing over lemonade and popcorn instead of relaxing on my porch with a book. It was knowing why we do it that helped. It’s gratifying to know that we will be out there again this year, telling our stories and bringing history to life. That’s what survival is all about.
Barraclough is director of publications & website at MAC.