Good-bye Summer of ’24 …

So true …

As another Jersey Shore summer season passes by, I must remember — the beach is here to be shared with others. We all-year shore residents should understand and appreciate the unique appeal of the shore. Deep down though, I must agree that we beach lifers have a special love and regard for the sand and the sea. Here are my whys:

1) Real Environmentalists — Genuine shore lovers never leave behind beer bottles, soda cans, newspapers, cigarette butts or anything else for that matter. Being a guardian of the beach is a great trust. Litter is a moral corruption.

2) It Communicates — The sights, sounds, and smells … they become part of our persona. We are the beach embodied. For some of us it reaches a point where we can’t quite properly function without being close.

3) Walk to Wonder — If you’re having a tough time go to a beach and take an hour’s stroll close to the shoreline. Travel in the morning or at dusk. If you finish and still feel poorly, you’re hopeless.

4) Sand is King — We never really get the sand out from between our toes. It’s also in the house, the car, the shower, the hair, the kitchen floor. It can be a warm and wonderful reminder.

5) Guilt Free — Sitting and staring at virtually every other locale will bring, at some point, feelings of wasted time. Never at the beach. The time is yours to do as you please. Relaxation becomes the habit.

6) Mighty Ocean — In a single day it can wipe out your home, your goods, your life. And while respect for its power and persistence comes with the territory, the draw of its splendor keeps us here.

7) Forever Spot — You can travel the globe and see its sights and splendors, but you always want to come home to the beach. It’s our land. They’re carrying us out.

8) Riding Waves — It’s called body surfing and some shore kids learn how to even before they can run. Catching the right wave offers a sublime connection with nature.

9) For the birds — True peace can be gained by watching birds at the beach. And it gladdens me to know that years of beach replenishment have helped a couple of endangered shore birds (Least Terns and Piping Plovers) to flourish again.

10) Fall Fave — It’s when crowds disperse and temps drop that the shore area is at its seasonal finest. The month of October on the Jersey Shore is as close to weather paradise as it gets on planet Earth.

“The MBBP Smile,” Summer 2022.