I was reading a Google article about the lost tribe of the Accabonacs and found it amusing and somewhat bittersweet. Apparently I am part of a dying breed that is being relegated to a museum. I guess that is about right. I did find it amusing that a linguist was studying our speech and thinks it came from some place in England. I rather doubt that Bub, but you're entitled to your opinion. I had many a conversation with old Stewart Bennett and let me tell you he didn't use much of the Kings English ! But those with PhDs like to believe they have the answers. Well, ain't always so.
The article included a list of " common phrases " a Bonacker may use. Some I've heard and some I never did. Some are pure fancy and that's the truth of it. Of course if you want to market something you have to add a little flair to it. I'll tell you this much, wasn't nothing romantic about being a Bonacker. It was damn hard work and damn little pay. As for the " loving it " part, sure I love it, don't know anything else. Give me a lot of money and I'd try that in a heartbeat ! A lot of Bonackers did too.
I never made claim to being a Bonacker. I lived down to Three Mile Harbor right off of Springy banks. Been fishing,clamming and all that stuff but never commercially unless you count helping Dad go scalloping. Did that a few times and made pretty good money from it. I would say that my generation is host to the last of the true Bonackers. There are damn few left. Like that article pointed out, that way of life is going the way of the Whalers. A time gone by and never to return.
Government regulation has been blamed for a part of this demise. Yes, it played a role. I think technology played a bigger role. My Grandfather Bennett told of the time they began to use engine powered boats to haul scallop dredges. He said that was the beginning of the end. Made it too easy to catch more than you really needed and led to over harvesting. Wasn't that many years after his passing that his prediction came true. Then came refrigerated trucks to transport the catch to far away markets. The demand became larger and as a consequence the harvest grew. The little man was being pushed out by the bigger outfits. Even happened with families. Those that had the resources and man power dominated. Gone were the days of individual fishermen selling just enough to get by. Technology was the root cause. Man has always sought ways to do it faster,easier and with greater profit and man always will. Then we will lament the loss of a way of life. Soon the way of life becomes nothing more than memories and reenactments.
Funny thing is there was a time when membership in this tribe wasn't a good thing, at least not in the eyes of some. And now these people want to claim ownership. Now the tribe is being studied and written about. Should you wish to talk to me that would be just fine. I'm not so sure I belong to this tribe though. My Grandfather Bennett certainly did and other ancestors of mine. I don't think you can inherit experience. If you haven't lived the experience there is little you can say about it. The best I can offer is stories and tales I have been told. Am I some relic from the past ? Not hardly, Bub ! Not hardly.
The article included a list of " common phrases " a Bonacker may use. Some I've heard and some I never did. Some are pure fancy and that's the truth of it. Of course if you want to market something you have to add a little flair to it. I'll tell you this much, wasn't nothing romantic about being a Bonacker. It was damn hard work and damn little pay. As for the " loving it " part, sure I love it, don't know anything else. Give me a lot of money and I'd try that in a heartbeat ! A lot of Bonackers did too.
I never made claim to being a Bonacker. I lived down to Three Mile Harbor right off of Springy banks. Been fishing,clamming and all that stuff but never commercially unless you count helping Dad go scalloping. Did that a few times and made pretty good money from it. I would say that my generation is host to the last of the true Bonackers. There are damn few left. Like that article pointed out, that way of life is going the way of the Whalers. A time gone by and never to return.
Government regulation has been blamed for a part of this demise. Yes, it played a role. I think technology played a bigger role. My Grandfather Bennett told of the time they began to use engine powered boats to haul scallop dredges. He said that was the beginning of the end. Made it too easy to catch more than you really needed and led to over harvesting. Wasn't that many years after his passing that his prediction came true. Then came refrigerated trucks to transport the catch to far away markets. The demand became larger and as a consequence the harvest grew. The little man was being pushed out by the bigger outfits. Even happened with families. Those that had the resources and man power dominated. Gone were the days of individual fishermen selling just enough to get by. Technology was the root cause. Man has always sought ways to do it faster,easier and with greater profit and man always will. Then we will lament the loss of a way of life. Soon the way of life becomes nothing more than memories and reenactments.
Funny thing is there was a time when membership in this tribe wasn't a good thing, at least not in the eyes of some. And now these people want to claim ownership. Now the tribe is being studied and written about. Should you wish to talk to me that would be just fine. I'm not so sure I belong to this tribe though. My Grandfather Bennett certainly did and other ancestors of mine. I don't think you can inherit experience. If you haven't lived the experience there is little you can say about it. The best I can offer is stories and tales I have been told. Am I some relic from the past ? Not hardly, Bub ! Not hardly.
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