Monday, April 27, 2015

The Point, A Place in the Heart


by Fran McNabb
 

If you’re not from my corner of the world, “The Point” probably brings up all sorts of meanings. For me and for the tightly knit group of people who grew up on the small peninsula of the Gulf Coast, the name conjures up memories from the past.

The Point, or Point Cadet as some called it, was home to several ethnic groups—Cajuns, Yugoslavians and Italians—most of whom made their living from the seafood industry. Over the years these different groups shared their traditions and food and seemed to meld together while still keeping their own traditions alive. We grew up enjoying foods from all the cultures, such as baccali, jambalaya and gumbo.

Most families had someone who worked as shrimpers or factory workers or owned neighborhood stores and cafes that catered to those families. My mother and father both were seafood workers. Dad had a shrimp boat and Mom worked on and off throughout her life in the factories. My brother and I even tried our hand at part-time work, but quickly learned that life wasn’t for us.

I love to share memories with people who grew up in that part of the world. The other day something reminded me of the “aroma” of the huge oyster shell piles on the beach. I know most people wouldn’t think of that as a good memory, but I loved it. (Thanks to Tiffany Duval for the picture. The picture comes from a time prior to my life, but the piles remained into the late 20th C.)

I love riding down the beach today thinking about what we did as children there. I smile at the memory of our moms in their big sunhats following us children who rolled truck inner tubes through the streets to get to the beach. What fun!

Most of us lived in the same neighborhood and played with the same friends for our entire school years. It was a comfortable life—not rich in material things—but comfortable because of the familiarity of the people around us, the slow rhythms of life, and the traditions that we expected. I look at our mobile society today and realize so many young people will grow up without that experience.

 The Point was nearly wiped out by Hurricane Katrina, but though the landmarks might be gone, nothing can take those memories from our hearts.

 Everywhere in the world has its own place like “The Point.” Where is yours? Is it in upper New York, in the desserts of the southwest, or in a small town in the Midwest? No matter where the region is, I’m sure you have special memories from your past that are distinctively yours. If you do, you can count yourself as one of the lucky ones.

 
Fran McNabb grew up on “The Point.” Today she and her husband live on a quiet bayou harbor, a short distance from the area. Several of her light romances are set along the beaches and island that she and her family still enjoy. She loves to hear from readers at mcnabbf@bellsouth.net or through her website at www.FranMcNabb.com

 

8 comments:

  1. This post rings so true, Fran. I think everyone has special places in their heart. Those places and the memories they evoke make us who we are.

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  2. My "Point" is a bit far from home. I love the red rocks of Sedona Arizona. My son lives in Pheonix, so I make sure I get there as often as possible. Very relaxing and zen-like. Planning a trip for 2016.

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  3. Ah, now, for us, "The Point" is Montauk Point. It's at the very tip of Long Island and boasts a lighthouse erected at the directive of George Washington, a campground once used by Theodore Roosevelt, a mythical wartime "experiment," beaches, sport fishing, cliffs, the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Long Island Sound on the other, the last home of EB White, a Coast Guard station, and so much more! My fictional town of Snug Harbor in my Calendar Girls books is, in reality, Montauk Point. It's a place that we visit over and over again.

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  4. Thought it may come as a surprise, my 'Point' was the Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco. We moved there from a tiny village in Maine but the change was hardly noticeable to me as a 5 year old. Throughout my school years, I had the wonderful advantage of living in a ethnically & spiritually diverse community.

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  5. My "point" is the beach town where I grew up on Puget Sound in Washington state. I go back there every chance I get.

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  6. My point is the street I grew up on in a New York City suburb. Lots of kids and we hung around together all the time, played in back yards and in the street, dodging cars. Sounds scary to other people, but it wasn't a bad childhood at all!

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  7. For all of you who dropped by, thank you. I've been without my computer for a couple of days, and I couldn't get into the blog. Thanks.

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