By Francyn Winter
Do we, as Long Islanders, ever stop to realize how fortunate we are to live on this ever-changing jewel off the East Coast of New York called Long Island? Every day we hear about the traffic, the taxes, the rush, the problems with the Long Island Railroad, the old joke about the LIE being the largest parking lot in the world. But how many of us are actually happy and even proud to be a Long Islander?
Many times through my travels I get the urge to pick up my belongings and fly out of here and make another part of the country my home. Yes, Southern California is sunny and dry and just wonderful. Same with Arizona and the nightlife in Las Vegas can’t be beat. The small towns of upstate New York are quaint, plenty of land and a lot less costly to live. I can go on and on about the wide-open spaces and the purple mountains majesty and the hot dry 365 days of sun on some other side of the planet.
As a matter of fact just last year I was just thinking about the possibility of picking up my gear and moving far away. The idea of surrounding myself with nature and all its beauty felt freeing and even spiritual to me. Or living in some summer place where I can hike, go boating, fish and shop for hours in some quaint little village maybe a couple of hundreds of years old. Somewhere where there are lots of friendly people to befriend. Somewhere where everybody knows my name. Some romantic summer place that you see on television, Small-town USA, where I can gather my thoughts and just be me again.
I think that it's only natural that when people travel and see different places and lifestyles in the world, that their desire may be to want a change. Maybe when we visit places like Las Vegas and some other fabulous places that are exciting to visit, some of us wish we could pack up and hop the next plane, buy some real estate, put on a cowboy hat and ‘Yeehaw’ all the way to acres and acres of hot dry land. Hot and dry.... and hot.... and dry...and real hot. Yup.
And by the way, do you have any idea how many folks I know actually don’t move out of town for the sun? They move out to Colorado and Utah for the skiing and snow! And how about all the folks that feel that when they are in South Beach or Miami they have suddenly become so cosmopolitan and feel that they need a change, too?
Truth be told I'm one of those confused people. Blindfold me and put a cowboy hat on my head, point me towards the west and I become Annie Oakley. Spin me around and point me to South Beach and suddenly I’M Jennifer Lopez. In Las Vegas I become Sharon Stone (Casino). I’m sort of a traveling "chameleon".
But wherever I am, if I see an ocean, a beach or a small quaint town, or a cosmopolitan city I suddenly feel: "Hey! Where have I been all my life?" And you know what? Do you know where I've been? I've been in New York…on Long Island to be exact. And now that I've finally awakened, I’m proud of it!
The beautiful "Gold Coast" of the East. The ‘Little Jewel’ of New York. Long Island, our home…an Island of diversity, culture and cosmopolitan lifestyle. Where a bit of metropolis and country life meet somewhere in the middle to offer us all a taste of the best of all worlds. An Island surrounded by pristine beaches, breathtaking cliffs, and acres of farmland, fresh grown fruits and vegetables. Nature in all it's glory, right here in our own back yard. We are the happy medium that Eddie Albert and Zsa Zsa Gabor longed for before they settled on "Green Acres".
No need to travel to Vermont after a freshly fallen snowfall. Our own lovely homes here on Long Island come aglow and become a glistening winter wonderland after one of our magical snowfalls. Ice skating and hot cocoa while the tip of our nose tweaks of frostbite seem heartwarming. The fishing towns of Port Jefferson, Northport, Captree, and Montauk are among many of our shoreline treasures…and some of the best in the world. And how can we forget how cosmopolitan Long Island is in itself? The most eloquent romantic restaurants reside right here on our Island. Our theatres, museums, and various Historical Societies have preserved our Island's quaint landmarks and history. Let us not forget that our world class shopping facilities are all within arms reach, and are hard to resist (for females, anyway)
Perfectly situated we are with Manhattan City lights to the West, The Hamptons and Montauk’s Heaven to the East. And if that isn’t enough to tug at your heart strings, let us all remember that we are not only Long Islander's but we are also New Yorkers. And don’t forget, we are also indeed Manhattan-ites! An integral part of the heart and soul that keeps Manhattan alive with our daily loyal commuters. The thousands of Long Islanders who have their businesses in Manhattan, work there, and who spend their entertainment money their…who live and breath all of their daytime hours in Manhattan, only to come back to sleep on Long Island. We are the very same Long Islanders who have experienced first hand the terror of 9-11, the joys of the Times Square New Years Eve ball falling, and the rise and fall of the New York Stock Market, Broadway, and the Yankees
Yes, here on our Long Island, we are overtaxed; we are over crowded, and sometimes overburdened. But with the abundance of life that Long Island has given us, the nature and the glamour and the best of all worlds, easy access to the greatest city in the world, and our World Class beaches, I am proud to say that we are Long Island and New Yorkers. And this is our home sweat home.
Now can you really think of anywhere else in the world that you'd rather be? Not me. We are Long Island.... and .......and we ought to be proud! And THAT"S what I was just thinking!
By: FRANCYN WINTER
Long Island Exchange
January 16, 2005, 6:14 AM EST
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