One of the serendipities of living on the Outer Banks was meeting and interacting with vacationers, who came from far and wide.

The only downside to the “season” was the greatly increased traffic volume.

Until my last seven years with the Dare County School System, when I was a 12-month central office person, I had the opportunity to have several different summer work experiences.

I enjoyed being a historical interpreter at the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills. Two mornings a week I portrayed Orville Wright in a living history setting. Thespian wannabe that I am, that was something I liked to do.

Also, I worked at the Elizabeth II State Historic site, and thoroughly enjoyed telling the story to visitors.

For four summers I taught high school English in the mornings to students who hadn’t quite made the grade.

Once a week in the evening I taught public speaking at the College of the Albemarle’s Dare County branch. That was a very satisfying situation, as having motivated students was quite nice.

Sally and I particularly enjoyed the summers, in part because of the opportunity to meet new people. We became friends with a number of the young folks who came to be in “The Lost Colony.” It was sort of like we were vacationers as well.

We will always hold good and special memories of our years in “the goodliest land under the cope of heaven.” Besides, it’s where our children grew up.

Perhaps the only negatives, and maybe that’s too strong a word, would be the geographical inconvenience because just about everywhere else is a long way from that part of our state.

Then too, just about everything on the Outer Banks – as in probably all vacation areas – costs more. The cost of living is simply higher there.

That’s all a part of our shared past. A part of our story.

|A part of our memories.

APROPOS — “Look not mournfully into the Past. It comes not back again. Wisely improve the Present. It is thine. Go forth to meet the shadowy Future, without fear, and with a manly (or womanly) heart.”

— Henry Wadsworth Longfellow