Goodbye Lighthouse Beach

There are times in life when we look back at what was and remember the good times. Perhaps we think to ourselves: When did it change? Rarely in life are we given the opportunity to know exactly when what is, is now what was. 

That happened for me today when it was announced that a place I so loved, a place I truly called home, a place I have spent days and nights at, on and felt part of was taken away for good. 

For as long as I can recall, Fire Island was a special mystical place and one day I ventured out and found it. I immediately fell in love and many friendships soon ensued. Many of you may have seen the thousand or so photos I have captured in an attempt to record just how amazing it was to me, but alas it is but a memory now as the National Park Service has decided that me and my people are no longer welcome here. 

What will become of this beach one can only guess, but my beach in its pristine beauty will certainly not be as loved by those with their boom boxes and barbecue grills, leaving their garbage behind for others to tend to. For no one treads softer than we, and no one will see the beauty we saw. 

I see more changes on the horizon and they will make the day in which I cast off the dock line and set sail that much easier. Years from now when people ask "Why did you leave NY?", I will remember this day with clarity as the day in which what kept me here faded away into a memory. 

Good Bye, Fire Island
Good Bye, my beloved Lighthouse Beach
Good Bye, to the friends I will certainly miss

Larry Jensen