Letter from the editor
I love everything about spring: hearing the birds singing outside my window in the mornings, the longer days, the feeling of sunshine on my skin and all those flower buds pushing up through the earth.
Spring always puts a skip in my step! This year even more so because there is a feeling of optimism in the air; dare I say, a light at the end of the tunnel. Vaccines are more readily available and AtlantiCare just marked their 100,000th vaccine dose administered at the mega-site in Atlantic City. More children are attending in-person school. Live entertainment and events are coming back.
This is not to say that we will chuck our masks in the trash anytime soon or life will be as it was pre-pandemic. Somethings are SO life-changing that it divides the way we see time. I believe the pandemic will be one of those things. There was life before and life after. The trials we go through change us.
This was the case with my grandmother. She hated to spend money. We used to joke that she still had her “recess money” at the age of 90. She would be truly horrified if she ever saw the way I can waste money. Grammy lived through the Great Depression and that changed her, influencing her perspective and that of an entire generation. I believe it will be similar for us, having lived through the last 12 months of quarantine, loss of loved ones, jobs, and financial security.
I can already see myself passing out hand sanitizer and face masks to my grandchildren in 20 years, “just in case.” I will never view germs, viruses and immunity the same.
I do believe we will get through this fully and life will return to “normal” albeit a more cautious, altered version of normal. Large crowds may always set off some alarm bells in our heads. That’s not necessarily a bad thing either. Experts say there has been a great reduction in colds and flu this year as result of our new Covid-19 lifestyle, social distancing, hand sanitizing and wearing masks.
Grammy not wasting her money was a good thing too. The lessons from the Great Depression taught us to have savings in place for a rainy day or emergency. Those are still wise choices today.
On an upside, the pandemic took our technology to a new level. We can work and attend school virtually, from anywhere. Folks are pouring into our area because they now realize they can live near the beach and work on their computer. Second homeowners are making our region their primary home. I’ve heard the term coined “newbies” as opposed to “shoobies”. As a result, our home values are skyrocketing. Check out Elisa Jo Eagan’s real estate feature on page 18 in this issue.
For all that the pandemic took from us, it forced to be creative! Cruise: A Drive-Thru Artistic Experience is an innovative transformation of the parking garage at the Noyes Arts Museum into an immersive art experience unlike anything that has been seen before. Read about it on page 8-9. We are so fortunate to be the pilot city for this production that is running in Atlantic City through April 5th.
You’re probably familiar with the old adage that little people can do big things. Hometown Hero, Carter Doorley is the perfect example of just that, at 10 years old and he is making major waves and riding them too! Read about him on page 26-28.
Unlike other seasons, spring symbolizes new growth. It is a great time to appreciate not only the budding leaves and flowers, but also to take a look at how we have grown in our own lives throughout the last year. Jeff Whitaker writes about this on page 33.
We, at Shore Local are thankful for our growth and support from you, our readers, advertisers and contributors. We love creating this publication and have exciting plans for its future growth and outreach in the community.
Here’s to no more snow and warm Spring days ahead!
Peace & Love,
Cindy
