My father was right. Sometimes it takes years to acknowledge stuff like that. When we are young we figure those old people are just being over dramatic. What do they know? At other times we inwardly accept the fact that they are right, but refuse to admit it. Then comes the great equalizer; time. You can't argue with time, you can't stop time and you sure as heck can't control it. It will just keep on coming. Time is inevitable. Finally you have to admit it, the truth is inevitable as well, whether you like it or not. Yeah, Dad was right.
Now I'm not going to say he had some exclusive knowledge, some magic crystal, that allowed him to see the future. He did accurately tell me, and anyone else willing to listen, what was going to happen. He used an analogy to explain it all. Termites. He wasn't talking about the insects however but rather about the influx of people to our hometown. You see, I was born and raised in East Hampton, yes the Hamptons. Of course it wasn't called such back in my younger days, each Hampton was called by its' own name and other towns and hamlets were called by theirs. It was to these places the " termites " swarmed, at first in the warm summer months, and now taking up permanent residence. Yes it is those damn termites that have caused all the destruction my Dad predicted.
It wasn't any news to him as that had begun before his time. In the early days those termites just came out to hunt and fish. People with money to spend on great " outdoor " adventures. The folks with disposable incomes that wanted to show others that they were still connected to the land, they were sportsmen. Macho men ? Yes there was a bit of that going on. Following the sportsmen where the artists. They flocked out to the eastern end of Long Island to be inspired by its' natural beauty. It was also a welcome relief from the heat, the hustle, and the decidedly unpleasant atmosphere in the New York City! These folks were motivated by their creativity, the starving artists. Well, except they weren't exactly starving, struggling perhaps, but not starving. Termites? Yes they were and still are, they come to partake of whatever is available. The wealthy just followed that crowd, the upper crust with their wealth and sophistication. They built there " summer cottages " on the ocean dunes and formed their exclusive colonies. All the while these termites kept eating away at the foundation.
The process has continued and from what I can tell the process is nearly complete. The termites have just about destroyed it all. That the original structure has been destroyed is beyond question. It has become more playground than paradise. The playground is getting crowded though and soon it will collapse. Remember however I'm now one of those old people that doesn't know what he's talking about. You'll have to wait to see the validity of my prediction. But it's not really a prediction, it's a certainty. The termites will just keep eating away until there is nothing left. They have become such an infestation that the only way to get rid of them is to destroy the entire structure.
Termites have been around for about 120 million years. They are social insects, living in colonies. Yes, they begin in early spring these colonies and last throughout the summer months. The live off of cellulose or paper. Paper as in money! Another interesting parallel to what my Father told me about " termites", . Now the worker termites, or soldiers as they are called, only survive a year or two. Then they die, worked right to death. The Queen termite however can survive for a decade or more! That's why the colony survives. The queen however can beget a queen so it never ends until the food source is completely gone. Dad always said, when they ( the termites ) have used everything up, when they grow tired of the wood, they'll leave. Yup, he's right. He was then, he is now. Termites. Invite them for dinner and they will never leave. They will eat you out of house and home! They won't even leave a few scraps.
Now I'm not going to say he had some exclusive knowledge, some magic crystal, that allowed him to see the future. He did accurately tell me, and anyone else willing to listen, what was going to happen. He used an analogy to explain it all. Termites. He wasn't talking about the insects however but rather about the influx of people to our hometown. You see, I was born and raised in East Hampton, yes the Hamptons. Of course it wasn't called such back in my younger days, each Hampton was called by its' own name and other towns and hamlets were called by theirs. It was to these places the " termites " swarmed, at first in the warm summer months, and now taking up permanent residence. Yes it is those damn termites that have caused all the destruction my Dad predicted.
It wasn't any news to him as that had begun before his time. In the early days those termites just came out to hunt and fish. People with money to spend on great " outdoor " adventures. The folks with disposable incomes that wanted to show others that they were still connected to the land, they were sportsmen. Macho men ? Yes there was a bit of that going on. Following the sportsmen where the artists. They flocked out to the eastern end of Long Island to be inspired by its' natural beauty. It was also a welcome relief from the heat, the hustle, and the decidedly unpleasant atmosphere in the New York City! These folks were motivated by their creativity, the starving artists. Well, except they weren't exactly starving, struggling perhaps, but not starving. Termites? Yes they were and still are, they come to partake of whatever is available. The wealthy just followed that crowd, the upper crust with their wealth and sophistication. They built there " summer cottages " on the ocean dunes and formed their exclusive colonies. All the while these termites kept eating away at the foundation.
The process has continued and from what I can tell the process is nearly complete. The termites have just about destroyed it all. That the original structure has been destroyed is beyond question. It has become more playground than paradise. The playground is getting crowded though and soon it will collapse. Remember however I'm now one of those old people that doesn't know what he's talking about. You'll have to wait to see the validity of my prediction. But it's not really a prediction, it's a certainty. The termites will just keep eating away until there is nothing left. They have become such an infestation that the only way to get rid of them is to destroy the entire structure.
Termites have been around for about 120 million years. They are social insects, living in colonies. Yes, they begin in early spring these colonies and last throughout the summer months. The live off of cellulose or paper. Paper as in money! Another interesting parallel to what my Father told me about " termites", . Now the worker termites, or soldiers as they are called, only survive a year or two. Then they die, worked right to death. The Queen termite however can survive for a decade or more! That's why the colony survives. The queen however can beget a queen so it never ends until the food source is completely gone. Dad always said, when they ( the termites ) have used everything up, when they grow tired of the wood, they'll leave. Yup, he's right. He was then, he is now. Termites. Invite them for dinner and they will never leave. They will eat you out of house and home! They won't even leave a few scraps.
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