This Is Not "Real " Life

Tonight we had a book club meeting and at one point a few of us realized there are a lot of things about this place that would never happen in "real" life.  The conversation that prompted this realization was about a wallet that apparently had  been missing since the weekend but went unnoticed until today, two days later.  In "real" life none of us could get through a day, much less two or three days, without missing our wallet.  Life is like that up here...unreal.

In what reality can you go to a book club meeting with people from as far west as Calgary, as far east as Halifax, as far south as Houston and as far north as.....Edmonton? and all points in between?  There are so many aspects to life in this place that just are not "real" life.  Multiple generations sit on front porches every afternoon and just visit.  A busy day consists of mowing three yards, walking the dog on the sandbars, attending a margarita party, playing a little sandbar golf, sitting on the beach and visiting with friends and relatives, eating dinner and then attending book club until almost midnight, oh and throw in a load of laundry just for good measure. Then fall asleep with the windows open and the curtains blowing in the breeze and sleep like a baby!  This certainly does not happen at home in "real" life.

In "real" life there are not things like the Mini Olympics.  The mini Olympics began in 1976 when the Olympics were in Montreal and in the spirit of the games the people of the shore decided to start some games of their own.  It is one of the few times in the summer that being a Brown or a Christie does not matter.  Three kids between the ages of 6 and 16 form teams and compete in games such as the basketball free throw contest or the spoon and golf ball run or broad jump or other random but fun games.  There is a very nice engraved trophy to which the winning team gets their names added, for posterity.  I think even a few of my kids have their names on that plaque! There is a lot of history there!  This is not "real" life!  It is our own little idyllic environment, our own Camelot.



This year's winners holding the plaque...future Olympians?!



It has always been a challenge to describe this place to people who have never been here.  What is it that makes it so special?  Is it the people or is it the place?  Probably a little of each and then add some trust, respect, laughter, intelligence, activity, energy, history, family, freedom, creativity and sheer joy.  It is like living in a huge commune.  We watch each others children and feed the ones who happen to be with us when it is time to eat.  The children grow up trusting everyone and having unusually wide boundaries and independence that would be unheard of in "real" life... because it is just too scary and dangerous.  There is something to be said about being able to spend several weeks in an environment that is safe. 

This place has seen babies take their first steps, children have their first sleep-overs, young boys and girls share their first kiss, young people drink their first beer....  best friends for life have been established here.   

Just a short list of "things that would never happen in real life"  and then I am opening the floor to my readers to add to the list!  Send a comment of something that happens here that would never happen in "real" life!

-saying something to someone at one end of the beach and hearing it again by the time you make it to the other end of the beach!

-driving a golf cart down to the beach or to a friend's house or wherever you are going (Ok it happens in places like Florida...in retirement communities but this is no retirement community!)

-living in a house that about ten other people around you say they lived in at one point or another

-going days without seeing someone using a cell phone!!!

-seeing half of the people you know in the grocery store on a rainy day

-when the sun comes out after an entire day of rain and knowing that the sunset will be spectacular!

-forgetting what day it is much less what the date is

-sunny days mean laundry days

-kids just playing all day...every day

Let the summer commenting commence.  This is not "real" life, it is better!