South Jersey Shore Memories

I've actually been wanting to write a memoir piece on the Jersey shore for a while now, but never got around to it. I figure this could help trigger some of my memories and such.

Let's just put it this way. I'm a real Jersey girl. I love the city, but I prefer my suburbs. I eat at diners and actually relish the food. I shop at malls. Once while in Florida, a waiter asked if I was from Jersey. Apparantly my accent is that thick. And one more thing- I love the Jersey shore!

I don't know if shore is a Jersey created word or not, but I don't use the word beach too frequently. I'm more of a shore gal.

I guess I take for granted the fact that we have this wonderful natural entertainment so close by. For all of you that might think Jersey is the armpit of the USA, don't be fooled. Jersey is within prime distance to Philly, the shore, and New York. It rocks. I have cousins who grew up in Ohio and only got to see the shore when they visited. I have a friend now who is not from the East Coast either and has never been to the shore. Imagine! No shelly beach, no cool breeze, no seagulls or fudge or Kohr brothers ice cream or gigantic slices of pizza.

I recently was lucky enough to travel to my two favorite Jersey shores- Cape May and Ocean City. On my trips, I tried realizing what I loved most about the shores.

First off, my first love was Ocean City. My family used to rent a house or two down there each summer- and when I say family, I don't just mean mom, dad and brothers. Everyone came- aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents. The one summer that I remember the most was when my cousins from Ohio came to visit.

A little backstory here- my cousin, Margaret, and I were always good friends as well as cousins. We would write letters to one another and include drawings and paperdolls for one another. It was a blast getting to spend a week or two in the summer down the shore with her! What I remember most from that particular vacation was the jacuzzi in the house that we went into, feeling so priveledged to do so. I also remember playing some sort of game in the ocean, where we were cowgirls or something. We would ride the waves with and without boogey boards.

What I remember the most, though, was visiting the Ocean City museum with her. I remember looking at jewelry in a case, buying a really neat bookmark that featured an old-fashioned girl on it, and feeling almost ghostly about the whole thing. Sometimes, when I am in a place that includes history, I feel like there are ghosts or spirits of the past nearby. It's just a strange feeling that I get.

I never went back to that musuem but I wish I could.

My brother, Rob, and I also got in trouble that summer for jumping on the stepping stones that existed on the house next door's landscape. That, and he saw some cooler dressed people that he mentioned had to be from Philly, because Philly people dress better.

Another summer, I went on the long and painful excursions to find a home suitable enough to rent for a few weeks. While I was at first thrilled that my mother chose the home that I was attracted to (for its Victorian decor), I was later bummed to find out that the deal had fallen through, and that were to end up staying in a house that backed up to a marsh. That was a summer that I spent reading mostly comic books- Archie, Richie Rich and Casper mostly. While my Uncle Albert had picked up some for me from a local 5 & Dime, what I enjoyed most was visiting the Atlantic Book Shops on the boardwalk, as they sold older comics at 4 for a $1.00. Most of the time I was lucky to find Archie, but one night there were none left. And they never got any more either. So sad, I cried and cried in the bedroom that I shared with my grandmother, who comforted me after I was in trouble for causing some sort of tantrum. That was also the summer that I wrote a short story about the secret life of things, such as appliances and pots, as in, what they ate, did, etc...I did this with a set of very cute and colorful pens that I found in the kitchen drawer and felt bad for using because they belonged to the family that owned the house and not to me. Rob found this story and told me how stupid it was- very typical of him.

Mostly, I always loved the boardwalk. Besides the book stores, I also enjoyed a store titled The Old Salt, and one titled, South Sea Shop. Both still exist! In fact, most of the stores I loved still linger around, such as Toy Safari, and the Wonderland pier. What I find funny is how much longer the boardwalk seemed back then then it actually is. I loved the Old Salt because the exterior resembles an old boat and everything for sale is nautical themed for the home. South sea Shop had an area full of dollar items which I loved. I always was able to take home a trinket or two.

One last thing about those vacatios were the giant family dinners. We always ate together, whether we went out, or ate in. On one evening, we were in a restaraunt and my Uncle Carmen, who knew of my desire to one day become a fashion designer (instead of a mediocre substitute teacher, ha) gave me the assignment to draw designs that would dress a man fora week. I did not follow up. This is probably why I did not become a fashion designer and why I will stay a substitute teacher for a long time.

My family has always been important to me. I enjoy spending time with them, even though the visits are less frequent and less magical, probably because I'm no longer under the spell of childhood imagination. *sigh* Last summer, my family had rented a house in Ocean City and once again, I was able to tour the boardwalk and eat a family dinner, even though this time I was only down for the day. I hope to do these kinds of activities with my family again soon, and give my future children the same type of Americana childhood that a shore vacation can bring.

I never stayed in Cape May with my parents, although we went for many day trips there. Obviously, my favorite place to go there is the Washington Square mall area, where there is a store I adore- Whale of a Tale. This place is really magical. It is full of sea themed items of books, postcards and jewelry, but scours of other items to lust after- stickers, soaps, beautiful cards. It sounds ordinary, but it's not. I can never leave the store without purchasing at the very least a card that hopefully will be used in a craft of sorts.

Cape May is not Cape May without strolling along that area, or without dining at the Lobster House. That is truly the most wonderful place. It sits on the ocean. I love how it greets you as soon as you enter Cape May.

I've been to Cape May for many adult ventures, including vacations and my brother's wedding. There's a sense of real Victorian elegance that hovers around the area. And that feeling of spirits- that is always with me when I am wandering down there. It's just a very lively, spiritual place.

As my past posts explain, my grandmother, Lenny, had passed away back in April, leaving me very saddened. Around the time of her death, I watched the movie, Titanic for the first time in my life. So forgive me for sounding awkward, but the two events are kind of connected. I sort of had comfort in the scene where Rose goes to Heaven at the end, as that's how I began to picture my Lenny's passing- her opening the door to her Florida home and being surrounded by deceased loved ones.

Because Titanic takes place on the ocean, it reminds me of the shore. So this summer, I had an especially hard time waiting to get myself to the shore.

My grandmother lived a full life. She went everywhere and did everything. Her spirit, along with the Titanic characters really made me want to live. I want to go everywhere and do everything. I never want to become one of those people who wakes up one day, old, and realizes, "Shit, I spent the last 30 years spending every weekend grocery shopping and watching tv. Awful."

So not to get off topic, but here's to you, Jersey Shore, and all of the memories you've brought me. Hopefully, I'll see much more of you in the future, as I continue to live my life with the glamour and zest it deserves.