The devastation that the Jersey shore has seen, will likely (hopefully) not be matched anytime soon. The Atlantic City boardwalk, made famous by Boardwalk Empire and a rather droll Steve Buscemi? Gone. The Seaside Heights boardwalk, made famous, unfortunately, by the likes of Snooki and Pauli D, where I have memories of my dad’s band playing the clubs during the summer, while I galavanted around throwing rings onto glass bottles, and darts at balloons. Gone. And as to the LBI boardwalk? Well that washed away in 1918, but one place, one chosen namesake that was to represent the feeling and memories of those others previously mentioned, stands strong. And it’s my mom’s shop, The Boardwalk, on LBI. So here’s to you mom, stand strong, save those lives, and get that shop ready for summer, you are the last boardwalk standing.
I Once Had a Dog Named Sandy
I also once lived on an island, known by the moniker LBI. Long Beach Island, it’s a funny place. It’s not overly exciting compared to say a, Puerto Rico. It’s not glamorous like the Keys. But when you visit, it traps you. A good trapping, not a bad one, at least by Jersey shore standards. So it is quite humbling, to see the place I have lived, loved, etc, literally get washed away. It’s an island. It’s the inherent risk, for sure. It’s the same risk one would take living in LA via Earthquakes, or NY and its alien invasions. My mom is on this island right now. Not because she chose to stay, but rather because she is the Deputy Coordinator of Emergency Management. She has to be there. She has to somehow keep it all together, as nature washes away an entire island, so that she can get in a really big truck, and drive around to save some really stupid people. Ok, “stupid” is probably harsh, as I understand the comforts that home brings, especially feeling so unconnected to one right now. But seriously people, its an island, approximately 3 feet on average above sea level, and this this is rolling in harder than Lil Wayne…as my buddy Jake would say, “You stoopid.”