EDITOR’S
LETTER
W ithout a little mysticism in our lives, the world would be a boring place.
Even the least superstitious of the people who gather on our beaches
at sunset are hoping for a glimpse of that elusive green fl ash; they may
know it’s science and not a magical thing ... but that child who still lives in a corner of
their mind is hoping magic might be afoot.
If we didn’t have a little mysticism in our lives, the spirit of Santa Claus would only apply to the youngest of us; but how
many of us still go to bed on Christmas Eve with the magical possibilities of reindeer and a few mysterious extra presents
under the tree fl irting with our periphery.
When you spend Christmas on an island, you make entirely different – but still beautiful – memories. As Rob Hill
explained in our Little Gasparilla Island article, an islander’s idea of a Christmas tree involves Australian pine boughs,
seashells and a starfi sh on top. You have roasted oysters and snapper, with a pineapple cake for dessert. You spend the day
riding around on the golf cart instead of sledding.
As we close in on the end of the year, all of us here at Gasparilla Magazine want to thank you, our readers, for your
interest in our island, our lifestyle and our history. Boca Grande is magical for many of us., and we are happy to share it
with you. It’s a place where there may or may not be a faerie ring on the beach near 1st Street, or ghosts on Banyan
Street. Where you’ll never forget nights on the beach staring up at the stars, listening to the faraway sounds of dance
music from the Inn Beach Club and the endless lapping of the waves.
Thanks for another magical year, readers. Take care ...
Marcy Shortuse
Editor-in-Chief
14 GASPARILLA MAGAZINE November/December 2019