ISLAND SNIPPETS…….

St. Simon’s for 3 nights in a lovely condo on the beach, a gift from a long-ago senior English student at Winder-Barrow High School.  What a treat !

Having been sheltered all these months created  a special perspective, sort of like technicolor instead of black and white, or jazz instead of elevator music, or cake instead of bread.     You  get it ???

———————–Straight from the ocean, seafood to die for !     Oysters, fried and on the half-shell.   Shrimp,  in a salad  ( two salads actually ) and fried.  Blackened mahi-mahi.  Garlic-crusted salmon .  She-crab soup.   Crab cakes .    And then forget the ocean,  ”  Chocolate Stuff  ” at Barbara Jean’s in the heart of the village.   Has the food on the island always been that good ?    Probably.  But then again, sheltering for a year creates a different perspective, for sure.

———————–Watching several flocks of sea gulls from our balcony.  Interesting .  In two large flocks  ( 20-25) two birds fought over the leadership position.  Reminded me of national and state politics.   Not pretty.

———————–Contrast in COVID restrictions over-the-top in the several eateries that we enjoyed.  One that has long been considered THE PLACE for your fill of fried seafood took no precautions at all, tables jammed against each other and no masks in sight.  At the other extreme, one of the best resort restaurants  ( the only one directly on the ocean ) REQUIRED masks before entering and had tables spaced more than 6 ft. apart.  Sorta made me curious about the thought processes of the owners/managers .

———————– Several young mothers with pre-schoolers.  Made me sad to see no wedding rings on their fingers, sad expressions on their faces, and constant telephone conversations.  Toddlers , more or less, just took care of themselves.  I suppose the mothers are somehow too defeated to realize what they are missing with phone priority over child conversations.

———————-At the pool : a late 30s or early 40s female, weighing in at about 175 and not more than five ft. three in. tall , wore a bikini.  And not only was it a bikini, but the bottom ( such as it was ) was blue and white polka dots and the top  ( such as it was ) was bright red.  She was alone  ( understandably ! ) and constantly displaying her assets…….or maybe her liabilities .   I was fascinated , feeling sure that she had not looked in a mirror in 20 years.   Truly a sad commentary on lonely people.

———————-A trip down memory lane to Jekyll Island.  Grew up going there with Mother and Daddy, staying at the first motel on the island , Jekyll Estates.  Then with Byron , carrying our two, and, later, at least one trip with the six grands.  Such happy, happy times past.   But, boy, has it changed !   Upscale all the way.   Not sure I was ready for that.

The ocean causes me to internalize all over again how small I am, how small my problems are.  It reinforces that God has created a universe that is on-going, magnificent, and sustainable, no matter how we humans choose to treat it.  The ocean has its rhythm, its ebb and flow, its endurance, its patient pattern.   We could learn much from it.