Perception.

I may spend most of my adult life playing in, around, or on top of Long Island’s waters. But I grew up in Jersey. And in Jersey, you go “down the shore”. Whether it was the bungalows at Point Pleasant, the boardwalk at Seaside, or a share house on LBI...this is where I first discovered my connection with the ocean.

There were times in my life that I considered the Boardwalk and arcades to be an insult to my senses. But that sweet sticky smell; that loud assault of noise and light. This is also the place I experienced independence for the first time. Let loose {I thought anyway} alone with a pocket full of tickets. Riding the beach train, and fishing in a barrel, [a game you could not possibly lose at]. Holding hands with your first summer girlfriend, then blowing every dollar you had to win a stuffed animal for her, [worth pennies].

I remember a cold, wet, autumn week at the Jersey Shore with my wife. It just didn’t seem like we were on “vacation”. All it took was one round of mini golf...you remember.

Yes; those of you who know me have heard me use the phrase “this place is becoming like the Jersey Shore”, like that is a bad thing.

I was wrong.

It’s not a bad thing. It is a great thing.

Public access to the beach and the ocean is a gift and a right we can not take for granted. It is a treasure the Jersey Shore bestowed upon me. It is a memory seared in my mind; a connection imprinted in my soul: My first love; first crush; and partner for life.




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