I moved to this little beach town 55 years ago. [View all]

I had just graduated from the University of Texas, but no one would give me a job since I was 1-A and had a low draft lottery number.

I moved to this Island in April of 1970 to have fun in the sun until the inevitable. On August 3, 1970, a hurricane hit us dead center.

My rental was gone with the wind. I slept on a cot in the Community Center, manning the radio, controlling Ferry traffic to the mainland. It was hot, there were mosquitoes, and I bathed in the Gulf of Mexico (est.1552).

A week later, after restoration of electricity and phone service, I called my parents to tell them I was ok. My mom said, “Thank goodness. Your draft notice is here,”

After discharge from the Army two years later, I returned to this Island town and been here ever since. It’s changed, more development, short-term rentals, and golf carts, but I have loved it. 55 years….it’s gone by fast…from a kid to a geezer in a wink of an eye. 🏝️