Ocean Dependent

Four hours east of New York City, half an hour north of Providence, forty minutes south of Boston, and west of nothing but Europe, lies a small piece of the United States that I call home. Southeastern Massachusetts is different from anywhere else on earth. It has the fast pace feel of big cities mixed with the relaxed feeling of living on a beach. The coast is lined with small seaside villages from Westport to Provincetown. The Cape is one big suburb of Boston, and holds many valuable assets unique to the area. One of the unique qualities of the Cape is that it is surrounded by water on three sides. The ocean has an enormous impact on the area. The economy, recreational activities, even the way we build our houses, all depend on the water that surrounds us.

The economy of the Cape is based around the ocean. The major industries associated with the southeast are seafood and cranberries. These two things seem like they would come from very different areas however, that is not the case. It is so beautiful to drive along the roads in the early morning to see all the fog rising off the bogs; however, the best view is from the air, fly over the Cape in the fall and see the red checkerboard made by the bogs.These bogs are so successful because of the very high water table in the area, due to the proximity to the ocean. The bogs get plenty of water and damp soil to allow growth, while the weather of the area stays cool to chill in the fall. The bogs explode into berries, ripe for picking, giving the farmers opportunity for great profit. One of the biggest cranberry companies in the world, Ocean Spray, is based on the Cape. Cranberries are not only profitable but also well loved as a food on the Cape. They are in everything from chocolate covered to breads and muffins, to just plainly dried. The other major industry is much less surprising. Seafood obviously comes from the ocean and that is something of which the Cape has no shortage. The most common seafood, excluding shellfish, is white fish like haddock, sol, and of course cod along with bigger fish like swordfish. Shell fishing is also a popular industry. Scallops, clams, quahogs, mussels, lobsters, crabs, are all found in abundance. The two most important industries on the Cape, cranberries and seafood, depend on the Ocean.

There are many things to do in Southeastern Massachusetts that one can take part in for fun that involve the Ocean. There are beaches everywhere. The whole coastline is open for beachgoers and there is even an area consisting of over 40 miles of protected beaches called Cape Cod National Seashore. At the beaches, swimming, surfing, skim boarding, kite boarding, sailing, kayaking, and almost anything else dealing with the water is available for participation. The beaches are not the only water-based activities; the Cape Cod Canal also draws a crowd. This man-made canal breaks the Cape off from the main state of Massachusetts. It is a narrow canal that allows boats to cut through without having to sail around. Along the Canal is a trail that allows walking, running, biking, and rollerblading. There is also a train that crosses the canal on a type of Drop Bridge. All of these activities bring in a lot of tourists, which also supplements the economy, which once again can be traced back to the ocean.

Houses are one thing that is necessary everywhere. The ocean shapes the houses that are built. Although the high water table is conducive to growing cranberries, it is not for building houses. Basements are almost an impossible unless they are built on top of the ground soil. Digging any deeper than 3 feet will draw water and is unsuitable for building a foundation. Houses close enough to the shore will be built on stilts. These stilts are to raise the house off the ground in order to protect it from nor’easters or hurricanes or floods. The water does not limit house building indefinably it just limits the choices. Either a really tall house built on top of the ground or a sprawling layout that covers a lot of land. This is not necessarily a bad thing just a different way to build houses.

Cape Cod is a very unique area that is completely dependent on the ocean. Its economy would be nothing. No cranberries, no shellfish, no tourists would equal very low profit which in turn would lower the value of the area. The recreational activities also involve the water. No matter what season there is always an activity to do, like ice fishing for winter, kayaking for spring, swimming for summer, and surfing for fall. The ocean even affects how the houses are built. Stilts and no basement are the norm for the area. All of these things make the Cape unique. Without the ocean it would not be the same. I think that the ocean has shaped me as well. I will never stray far from the ocean.

A Family's Journey

A long and winding road parallels the coastline, scattered with beaches. The street is never busy as it twists and turns through cranberry bogs, wooded areas, and small seaside towns. Located way off the beaten path, hidden atop a cliff and enclosed by trees stands a house. Scattered fields line one side of the crushed seashell drive, while the other side is a perfectly manicured lawn so flawless it appears each blade was measured and cut. A cobblestone walkway leads up to a typical New England style cottage. Giant pines loom overhead making the three-story home appear miniature. The beautiful, glistening, free ocean surrounds the cottage on three sides. The salty smell is always present and always comforting. Never is it a chore to drive to my grandmother’s house. My family always sits in the car quietly, taking in the natural beauty of the area. As we drive along, each of us anticipates the excitement to come. The journey my family is on started in this place. As my family grows and changes, my grandmother’s home will always be at the center.

My grandmother’s home is always welcoming. As soon as the door opens the smell of home cooking seeps into my nose. Following the aroma is an embrace full of energy and love. The embracer is an older woman, short in stature and a little portly. Her hair is a mixture of fading brown and gray. It is always pinned in a bun sitting at the back of her head. A cigar bounces in the corner of her mouth as a long string of foreign words flow out. She always speaks in her native tongue, Portuguese. She is a very proud, strong, and generous person. She is the head of the family, regardless of what my grandfather believes. Our family considers her the Enforcer because she keeps everyone in line. My grandfather is a strong man, who is on the shorter side with a white Van Dyke, he always smells of wine and meat. When he is not eating or drinking, he enjoys a smoke with his wife. They are the driving force behind my family. Their home is never empty, the more the merrier. Everyone is welcome there.

Family is the number one priority in my grandmother’s book. It has and always will be. Family is at the center of the Portuguese culture and has been a huge part of my life. My grandmother always says that family shapes a person. The experiences and the knowledge are passed from member to member in order mold each other into better human beings. My grandmother’s home is where the lessons are taught and the knowledge is learned. The family is always changing with kids going off to college and marriages and babies and even deaths, however it will always be at the first priority on my list.

On the first Sunday of every month, my grandmother has a family gathering at her home. The family comes together to enjoy food, drink, and company. These three things are important aspects to our culture. My grandmother always prepares an enormous amount of food. Usually, it lines the counters in three of the four rooms on the ground floor. There is always a wide variety, everything from linguisa and kielbasa to potatoes and carrots. The house fills with smells of the homeland. Another important component is wine. My grandfather makes wine from the grape arbors he grows outside. Never a meal is served without some traditional Portuguese wine. These gatherings are a tradition of sorts with family at its core.

One thing my family is great at is talking. Silence is a word my family does not understand. Boisterous conversation drowns out the usually loud sound of the ocean crashing against the cliffs. There are several conversations going at once. Grandma and the women usually start gossiping about the recent event of their lives. Anything from what so and so heard in the hair salon to who has a new recipe. Grandpa and the men usually talk business, sports and politics. The children usually drift between the two groups to hear what everyone has to say. Even though they start off with their separate conversations the family always ends up together, laughing.
Families change and grow and evolve all the time. Mine is no different. Babies are born to excited new parents. Marriages are formed between two people in love. Life is taken when the time is right, unfortunate, but has to be done. One thing that never changes is my grandmother’s home. It is the center, the place of gathering and talking and growing. My grandfather built that house by hand when they moved here from Portugal. It stands strong against nor’easters, blizzards, hurricanes, and anything else Mother Nature can throw at it. This is the foundation upon which my family was built. This foundation my grandparents built to withstand changes and growth and evolution. Even though the family is different it is still just as strong.

The road is still long and winding. The ocean still smells sweet and salty all at the same time. The house still sits hidden atop a cliff in rural New England. The waves are still crashing and the lawn is still perfect. As I walk up to the door, I can already smell the home cooking seeping from underneath the door. Everyone is there. Family is still the most important thing in my life, my number one priority. I pause for a moment to remember the lessons I have learned. The door opens and I am immediately embraced. The people and the food and the conversation may be different, but the family is not. The journey of a family is never ending and always changing. The unexpected twists and turns, additions and even subtractions are what make a family strong. The experiences and family time enjoyed within the hidden house atop the cliff are just a part of the ever-continuing journey of my family.