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To the Editor:

What motivates a town to want to want to change? What motivated the popular Town of Southern Shores to want to reformat their beach?

I watched High Plains Drifter the other night. It’s a 1973 cult classic in my book, and seen from today’s vantage point, eye-popping. The protagonist is our man Clint Eastwood, who explores all the violent means of killing available to and for the “townspeople.” One of his darker cool Clint lines, this is after a stretch of dark doings, comes after he is asked “what do we do after?” Clint says “We learn to live with it.” Trite right?

So is the question, “do you like the new Southern Shores beach?” – it’s done, and while the funding to “go ahead and do it” is probably a vague conversation at the dinner table now. It was approved, if I remember correctly, with those whose doors face the ocean paying more than those who live further away? Looks like y’all got an initial return on investment. Congrats.

Of course it is really congrats to all of us, and maybe it’s the absolute right thing to do. But I tried to remember a summer in the years our family has been coming down here and seen a beach that has been blown in? I don’t remember a time, in fact I’m glad I can’t.

Yeah, not real fond of the blown-in beach. But I suppose we’re at a transition point; the “sky is falling” re: the rise in sea levels, so who wouldn’t be alarmed particularly if you were owner of an ocean-front? But somehow I thought the beach OK last year, and it seems in my dimming memory that the beaches I remember were perhaps a bit larger, but not a great deal (talking specifically about Southern Shores).

But like Clint says, and I can relate why he didn’t tell anyone in the town his name, (we’ll) “learn to live with it.”

Anyone want to run the “pool” on how quickly the beach will return to current 2022 size? Can someone refresh me on how we agreed on a right sized beach for Southern Shores? Is the little ridge at the edge closest to the ocean a mini dune, a cliff already carved out, or was that Turkey Day feast way too rich and I’m feeling it like other “towns” people?

Ok, I confess to not researching any pertinent facts before or after, and I’m sure much thought was given by the leaders of the town. I’m sure we’ll all be thinking about that the next time the folks who think we need it make it happen.

We’ll “learn to live with it …”

And, I’m hoping we never have to do it again.

Russ Watkins

Southern Shores

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