Memorial Day Weekend

Memorial Day weekend is here….the unofficial start of the summer season, a 15-week stretch that is vital to many here in Ocean County. Traffic has picked up noticeably over the last couple of days, especially in beach areas which all of a sudden have come to life. Lifeguards will be out this weekend and if the sun shines visitors and locals alike will step onto the beaches from Point Pleasant to Long Beach Island…most for the first time this year. Many will choose to stay closer to home as this is a popular weekend for barbeques and family outings.

Of course for many the downside to this weekend is that it brings visitors to the shore area and they are not always a welcome sight. Yes they bring money and that’s good for our economy but they’re not always the best guests. They jam our roads, pack our beaches and can be a nuisance. But as I’ve said before…how many of you were at one time visitors who later became residents? There’s a good chance you were pretty similar to those who now come here for the day, weekend, week or even summer. At some point you decided this would be a nice place to live so you moved from North Jersey or New York and now Ocean County is your home. Bottom line is most of you hearing me now are not natives and yes at one time somebody called you a “benny.” You might still even be one because there has to be some period of time before you can be considered a local. I’ve lived here for 42 years so I qualify but if you’ve only been a resident for say ten years….you’re not yet a local but you are getting close. All kidding aside we should treat our visitors like we like to be treated when we go on vacation.

I know that for many this weekend means beaches, barbeques and relaxation but we should also pause to remember why we have a holiday weekend. It’s to remember those that have made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of their country. From the Revolutionary War to the current War on Terrorism we honor those fathers and sons, brothers and uncles and even mothers and daughters who did not come home safely. They might be gone but as a nation we should not forget them.