Posted by Kerry on Apr 19, 2009
Oak Bluffs Harbor
Welcome to Martha’s Vineyard! What a relief to finally see those words as you exit the ferry and land on the Vineyard from lands near or far. Everyone has the same feeling of excitement and anticipation as their vacations are about to begin. Also of relief, that the steamship experience is behind you and you don’t have to worry about it for another week… If you are lucky it’s 2 weeks or a month until it’s time to leave. Who needs the stress? The looks of exasperation and the head shaking in disbelief because you don’t understand the arm flapping and apparent airplane directions coming at you? But that is a post for another day. So, whew, you made it, you are here! Woohoo!.
If you’ve arrived in Oak Bluffs, you may find yourself looking around for a recycling container to dispose of your soda can or water bottle. This is, after all, an island, so you know we have them. Well, believe it or not, we don’t. Due to circumstances beyond my comprehension, Martha’s Vineyard is critically under equipped to manage recycling. At the height of the summer traffic, you will find the trash cans in town full of things that should be recycled. Plastics, cans, cardboard and other products that would otherwise have second lives are going into the trash because people don’t know where to put them. Also noted, these people are on vacation and don’t want to have to look for the proper disposal methods. In a perfect world they would be readily available. Vacation and effort generally negate each other, but I am appealing to you here to make your Vineyard vacation a mindful one.
The only town on Martha’s Vineyard that has curbside pickup is Tisbury, so to get recyclables properly disposed of, they have to be brought to the dump and sorted by hand. For most of us who live here making that trip a part of our routine is not too much to ask. As a visitor, and presumably someone who loves the Vineyard and is vested in seeing it remain a beautiful island, does making that trip have value to you? How about for the earth and for your children? There are many ways to show respect for the environment and honor what mother nature has given us, recycling is the begining of the process. It is the simplest way to have the most impact in the short time that you are here. Recycling is a way to give back something to an island that gives so much of herself. Be mindful this year, take care of your island.
Please feel free to write to the www.mvtimes.com with suggestions on how Martha’s Vineyard can get it’s recycling system up to speed.
Posted by Kerry on Mar 24, 2009
A couple of months ago I received an email from our real estate database LINK. Unlike any other alert I’d received from them, it had nothing to do with selling property, but was a call for vacant houses to address a homeless problem. The message went on to say that there were two homeless men looking for shelter, and did I know of anyone who would be willing to rent to them at a reasonable rate.
I have to admit that my first thoughts were negative. Who would be living HERE without shelter? This is New England and it gets cold! We do not have the facilities or shelters that a larger community has, and are not equipped to fund them. And this place is costly for basics like milk or bread, let alone housing. So I immediately went through my mental Rolodex of reasons as to why this was such a terrible idea, and how they simply needed to move away…problem solved. Solved for me maybe, as I would not have to think about it anymore. My judgmental, self-righteous self took over as I jumped to conclusions about who they were and what they were up to.
It did not occur to me in those initial moments of reflection that these men did not ask to be homeless. As crazy as that sounds, it is easier to blame the victim than the circumstances that led them to being homeless. I’m from the city, and have been exposed to this problem before, but you become blind to people’s needs the more you are exposed to them. You adjust your brain to say that it is a fact of life, and slowly become immune to it. They don’t call them the ” invisible people” for nothing. We make them invisible with our insensitivity and lack of action.
This being a very small community, it was only a matter of time before they became “visible” by default. You notice someone waiting for the library to open every day, or a church or gas station.
I contacted two clients whom I felt may be sensitive to the cause, and had empty guest houses that might work. I never heard back from them.
The email I received was followed up with a story in the local paper about the men , and why they were living on the street. Both had fallen into difficult times financially, and had lost their homes. They were long standing island residents, trying to hang on with the only means that they could find. I felt sad about my initial reaction, and sadder about the predicament that they were living with. I am not sure what happened to these men, and am keenly aware that our local housing issues have more than just affordable housing to consider.
The other day I went out for my morning run, and came back along a route that I use often. My route home borders a cemetery that is at the end of my street and there are many seasonal homes in the neighborhood. In a truck that belongs to a neighbor who is only here a few weeks out of the year, I saw a man. He is living in this unused truck at the end of my road. Do I let my neighbor know, or leave him be? Is he in trouble, or hiding out? What is my responsibility and to whom? I know that I feel nervous and cautious as I have a little girl at home with me, but I want to do what is best for everyone, not remove a “problem” as I see it…what would you do?
Posted by Kerry on Mar 17, 2009
At the risk of sounding exclusive, there is something different about Martha’s Vineyard…though it may not quite be what people who live elsewhere are thinking. Of course it goes without saying that adjustments have to be made to living on an island, and that we are markedly more casual in dress and in atmosphere than comparable resort areas.
There really are not that many black tie events held on Martha’s Vineyard. We have them, and getting dressed up is fun on the rare occasions that it is called for. The need for fancy shoes and fancy dress is but a distant memory for most, completely unknown to some and good riddance seems to be the majority consensus.
When the weather hints at turning, one thing for sure will be the barometer for Spring around here… flip flops. It is the Vineyard’s true test of an islanders capacity for endurance NO SHOES ! Despite the forecast predicting temperatures in the mid 40’s, suddenly shorts and flip flops are everywhere you look. People are so desperate to get that summer ball rolling, that a sunny day in March will do it. I have plenty of empathy, and I understand that not everyone loves winter. There is however, a rather large discrepancy between 40 degrees, and 70 degrees.
For clarification, there are the traditional indicators as well. This morning I saw crocuses in the lawn, buds on the trees and only needed 3 layers of clothing on my run. The sun is up way past 6 PM, and daylight savings has changed my life, also, unbelievably, Dairy Queen opens for the season today. Happily we are well on our way, and after what seemed a very long winter, Spring is officially with us as of Friday this week. I will be keeping my socks on well into April, and look forward to flip flop season in its own time.
Flip Flop
Posted by Kerry on Mar 14, 2009
I have been coming to Martha’s Vineyard since I was 12. I met my husband when we were 13, and we have known each other for more than 30 years. We have mutual friends that we have known for the same length of time, and in the summertime you could pull out photos of any summer over those 30 years and see many of the same faces smiling back at you.
This place is magical. Not only do we have the glorious scenery, weather and community, but we get to know each other intimately without prejudice.
One of the bonuses to city living that I had not identified until I actually moved here was being able to circulate anonymously and selectively choose when and where I wanted to interact. It had not occurred to me that I used this as a tool, a way to keep people a arms length and myself safe. When you live in a small community, you don’t have the option of not engaging. You don’t get to not speak with the person who delivers the mail, because you actually have to pick it up and ask for it yourself.
Your doctor or you child’s doctor may be sitting next to you at dinner and with a nod, the recognition is acknowledged and confirmed for all to see. There are a number of hairdressers on the Vineyard, but the sanctity of those relationships are compromised by the fact that everybody knows everybody, and they either saw you go in, saw you come out, or were actually there to witness you with the foil in your hair. If you need some professional services of a more intimate nature, don’t despair, you will run into someone you know!
It takes some getting used to, and my cautious city ways are slowly leaving me. Though I am blessed with many new friends and am learning about people whom I may not otherwise have been exposed to, I find myself grappling with a feeling of complete exposure. Of life in a small town, where everybody knows me and I feel openly vulnerable and transparent. I have never felt the need to hide anything about myself , what I stand for, value, or who I am, but, there remains an inherent instinct to protect myself. I’d start a self-help group for people with my condition, but there is not a chance of anonymity. So, I am here learning to live and let go, and enjoying the process of allowing new experiences and people in my life. Its not for everyone, and I didn’t think it was for me but we surprise ourselves.
So ultimately, this fishbowl has all the components of a thriving, self sustained environment, without any of the polution, noise or overpopulation of city life. I am so lucky.
Friends At The Beach
