Having been born and raised in what is now known by many as " The Hamptons " I feel somewhat qualified to write about it. It is true that I haven't lived there in over thirty years and so am not current. But this also gives me an objective view. I view the East Hampton that I knew and love as a sort of " Mayberry. " It really was like that in many ways during the fifties and sixties. Sadly Mayberry was discovered. The thing is it had been discovered at least a hundred years before I was born. The artists came first, to paint and to absorb the ambiance. The artists were followed by the wealthy people that wanted a getaway from the stifling heat of the city. A place to decompress and relax. They built their mansions on the ocean front, a mini Newport. It wasn't much of an inconvenience and they brought money with them. Money that was sorely needed during the cold winter months. They were tolerated and, to a degree, given concessions in exchange for that money.
The idyllic little fishing village that we remember never really existed, at least not in my lifetime. Yes there was a few families still fishing the bays and the ocean. A few still managed to survive in that fashion. Those families had done so for generations. Those families also took advantage of the wealthy whenever possible. Perhaps advantage was the wrong choice of wording but they certainly made money from those wealthy people. Some mowed the grass or did other landscaping functions. Some became " house watchers " over the winter months. The local stores benefitted immensely from their presence.
Time moves forward and so does technology. It became possible to commute back and forth to the city. The train and the automobile became rapid methods. In the sixties I remember " Dashing Dan " an advertising gimmick on the Long Island Railroad. It did show the trend for commuting on a daily basis. Commuting became a necessity to earn the money required to live in the Hamptons. The city still holds the financial centers and that is where the money is. This isn't just a " Hamptons " thing. I see it happening right here in Greensboro. Commuting from the small town to the larger town for the same reason. Then those making a larger income buying and building their " rural " dream. Here it is farming but few true farms exist anymore.
The reality of the situation is this, without the money the town wouldn't exist. It is not possible to sustain a town, whether it be the Hamptons or Greensboro, with the same methods as fifty years ago. For East Hampton the fishing days are over, at least on a commercial level, and in Greensboro it is the farming. It is an evolving process and uncomfortable to those of us that remember the old ways. We all want for our children and grandchildren that which we had. That is to say, our youth.
There is a great deal more to this but it is something you already know. That doesn't make it any easier to accept. I recall seeing, written on the tailgate of a fishing truck, Hard Times. Yes it was hard times back in the good old days. We do have a tendency to forget about that. It is hard to watch the times change. To see the ship we sailed go out with the tide. We know she will never return but will make landfall in a foreign place. Then the cycle begins anew.
The idyllic little fishing village that we remember never really existed, at least not in my lifetime. Yes there was a few families still fishing the bays and the ocean. A few still managed to survive in that fashion. Those families had done so for generations. Those families also took advantage of the wealthy whenever possible. Perhaps advantage was the wrong choice of wording but they certainly made money from those wealthy people. Some mowed the grass or did other landscaping functions. Some became " house watchers " over the winter months. The local stores benefitted immensely from their presence.
Time moves forward and so does technology. It became possible to commute back and forth to the city. The train and the automobile became rapid methods. In the sixties I remember " Dashing Dan " an advertising gimmick on the Long Island Railroad. It did show the trend for commuting on a daily basis. Commuting became a necessity to earn the money required to live in the Hamptons. The city still holds the financial centers and that is where the money is. This isn't just a " Hamptons " thing. I see it happening right here in Greensboro. Commuting from the small town to the larger town for the same reason. Then those making a larger income buying and building their " rural " dream. Here it is farming but few true farms exist anymore.
The reality of the situation is this, without the money the town wouldn't exist. It is not possible to sustain a town, whether it be the Hamptons or Greensboro, with the same methods as fifty years ago. For East Hampton the fishing days are over, at least on a commercial level, and in Greensboro it is the farming. It is an evolving process and uncomfortable to those of us that remember the old ways. We all want for our children and grandchildren that which we had. That is to say, our youth.
There is a great deal more to this but it is something you already know. That doesn't make it any easier to accept. I recall seeing, written on the tailgate of a fishing truck, Hard Times. Yes it was hard times back in the good old days. We do have a tendency to forget about that. It is hard to watch the times change. To see the ship we sailed go out with the tide. We know she will never return but will make landfall in a foreign place. Then the cycle begins anew.
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