Stranded Reality collided with fantasy while I strolled along the little strip of beach on High Bar Harbour. The sandy path to the bay is surrounded by thick sea grass and small trees. Walking through this private park feels like a movie scene on a deserted island. But in the movies there is no sign posted saying, “Tick Infested Area.” Oh my, I never realized that my beautiful island had nasty ticks! All the years I’ve lived on this island, I’ve never seen a tick anywhere. Not on me or my dogs. We tend to romanticize LBI. We overlook any nasty thing that could ruin our fantasy. We forget that there are things that could sting or bite us in the water. Yet while on my walk I wondered where all of those sea creatures were. I looked in the water and saw only sand. I searched the wooded area for any wildlife besides birds and found nothing. I saw a man fishing but he had not caught anything.
LivingLBI Magazine • Spring 2014
Then it hit me. If I ever was stranded on a deserted island, I’d starve to death. I wouldn’t know how to find water or food. I’d be too afraid to walk into the woods and wouldn’t know how to catch a fish. Even if I did manage to catch a crab, I wouldn’t know how to start a fire. It would be the worst adventure story. I’d last about two days without food or water. Then I saw the boat moored in the bay. What if it had been a pirate boat? Where would I have hidden? The reality is that I love the island with all of its conveniences. Give me my comfy beach chair, striped towel, cold soda and a good magazine to read. Beach badges, lifeguards and crowds really aren’t so bad. The fantasy of having a beach all to myself is a nice place to visit occasionally. Lisa Ball
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