Behind the Tape…
By Cpl. Richard Dascall
TYBEE BEACHCOMBER | NOV 2017 37
From the
RIVER’S END...
By Woody Hemphill
Don’t look now, but we’re already in the month of November. I seem
to remember forgetting to ‘take up the slack’ in the timeline, apparently?
Years seem to fly-by, amazingly fast as we grow older, but exponentially
faster after washing ashore on Tybee Island.
When young, elders are quick to remind us how time speeds up the older
you get. I’ve definitely found this to be the case since the onset of living on
‘Tybee time.’ As a member of the latchkey generation, we were the first to
respond that we were the exception, rather than the rule. So imagine the
cruel irony of finding myself telling precautionary tales to millennials, like
some out-of-place character from an outtake of a Scooby-Doo episode.
These days, I’m left with little else to ponder but to simply ask, “What
happened?” This could be a carryover from the inevitable personal
inventory conducted when facing down Cat 5 hurricanes, but we’d all like
to consider our lives as a part of a much larger tapestry with a theme &
purpose interwoven together by the human condition.
Ultimately, the Tybee experience affords each of us the perspective
to confront our issues, confound our demons, and comfort those who
need it. When peeling back the layers of our island culture, we could be
described as a phenomenon comprised of the social by-products of rugged
individualism after being left to our own devices to confront and endure the
growing pains of progress, and the barriers of geography, time, & the past.
Each year, we’ve watched different parts of the country bastardize
Americana by turning their region into a Cracker Barrel experience comprised
of an unnatural, non-authentic, cheapened, generic, politically-correct
version to be visited by out-of-towners. Between the anti-social nature of
social media integration and the high-fructose corn syrup treatment of the
American experience, it isn’t really a stretch to imagine Hell comprised of
merchandising agents sitting in a room trying to monetize the ‘carcasses’
of all things that have been ‘done to death’ in every geographical location.
Yet, while the rest of the world has developed peanut allergies, and given
up gluten, we’ve managed to stay put, and remain ourselves. We liked who
we were. Luckily, other folks did, too.
Quite possibly, the most important aspect that I have come to admire
about Tybee Island is just how comfortable we are with our condition. Not
that we all live in the lap of luxury, but that we are happy with what we have
& are quick to help others to be comfortable, too. There’s truly something
special about a community that is repeatedly reminded how fleeting life
is, that it can all be taken away in the blink of an eye, and collectively
understands the emancipating qualities of viewing both happiness &
misery, each as mutually temporary conditions.
One aspect that I wasn’t prepared for upon my initial move to Tybee was
the loss of so many loved ones. Some have left only in the physical sense,
opting to cross the bridge for greener pastures. Still, others have crossed
over into a new, cosmic realm; at times in an instant, others a once proud
and mighty oak, that have wilted away into the ether - an ever-present
notion of the wandering hands of time & the changing power of tides. At
times throughout the year, this universal truth is a concept, little more than
an idea, but each year, as the holiday season approaches on Tybee, this
becomes a much more concrete notion. As a wise old Tybee character once
advised, “The same tide that rolls in, is eventually going back out - the only
guarantee we’re given from that point is that it’ll be back again, tomorrow.”
Sometimes, it takes wisdom bestowed by those who’ve carried rocks in
their shoes to appreciate the sand in our flip-flops. . .
Welcome back everybody. Hope all of you had a great Pirate Fest and
those of you still recovering from the storm, I hope you are finding your
way back to some sort of normal. As winter has been setting in, we have
been slowing down quite a bit over here at the police department. Outside
of the normal drunken shenanigans, anyone could see at any hour of the
day down on Tybrisa St., we haven’t had any interesting stories for me to
pass on to you guys. So instead of boring you with the same stories
you’ve heard a thousand times before, I’m going to take this month to talk
about some problems that we could use the community’s help in
addressing.
As winter sets in, we tend to have a serious problem with theft on this
island. So, as always, make sure you are securing your property, locking
your doors, and turning your porch lights on. Outside of this, if something
seems suspicions and out of place, it probably is. If you see something
that looks wrong please contact the police department.
Beyond this, as most of you may or may not be aware, in the past year
the Chatham County area has seen a huge resurgence in heroin. This is a
huge problem that affects our whole community. While we may not want
to admit it, it has certainly made its way to Tybee. Anyone with any
information about drug sales is encouraged to contact the Tybee Island
Police Department or Crime Stoppers. Any complaints can be made
anonymously and can go a long way in helping keep this drug out of our
community and away from our children.
As always, I hope everyone has a great month and if we can help in
anyway please feel free to contact us.