This Thursday Mike, Hanni and I head to North Carolina. I’m doing a book signing at Manteo Booksellers on Saturday, and we’ll spend the rest of the time swimming in the ocean, eating fresh seafood, and visiting old friends
How’d we end up with friends in North Carolina? We used to live there! During the 1990s, Mike worked here in Illinois for an internet company called Spyglass. In his early days at Spyglass, Mike didn’t get a high salary or good benefits. He did, however, receive stock options. And when Spyglass went public in 1995, all of a sudden those pieces of paper were worth a whole lot of money. We decided then to do something we would have never, ever thought possible. We moved to a house on the ocean.
Our time on the beach was fabulous, full of simple pleasures. Without worrying about obstacles in my path, I was able to run by myself. Listening for the waves, I’d point my shoulders in their direction and spring towards them like a little girl. Sometimes I’d race to the beach with Dora, my first Seeing Eye dog. She always won.
When the cold and rain arrived in December, Mike stoked the fireplace and I spent quiet time working on writing my first book, Long Time, No See.
The dream ran its course. Before we left Illinois, I wanted to believe I was the type of woman who would be forever happy living by the ocean: listening to books, sitting by the fire, reading, taking daily walks on the beach. Hard as it was to admit, I am not that romantic figure. In the end, two years of dreamy isolation was enough for me.
We made lovely friends in the Outer Banks, but we all lived far apart, and Nags Head had no public transportation. No sidewalks, either, which meant Dora and I were unable to get out by ourselves to do errands. Mike was responsible for getting groceries, banking, mailing packages at the post office, bringing us to doctor appointments. He had the time, and he mostly seemed to enjoy it. But I felt more dependent on others than I wanted to be, and I started feeling disabled.
It’s funny. On the beach or in the water, I enjoyed more of a sense of freedom of motion than I had since going blind. But the sound of the waves, the smell of the air, the feel of salt water on my skin…as fantastic and unforgettable as it all was, the ability to do all the other things by myself was more important. We left the ocean in 1999 and moved back to Illinois. We eventually settled here in Chicago, where public transportation and city sidewalks allow me to feel more independent than anywhere else we’ve lived since I lost my sight. But hey, the city gets a little exhausting sometimes! We’re looking forward to our trip back to the Outer Banks, hoping to return next week relaxed, a little sunburned and full of good beach stories.
Hi Beth,
I remember visiting you, Mike, Gus and Dora in OBX. That was my first time in the Outer Banks and now it has become a regular vacation for my family.
We still visit the same places you took me — Sam & Omie’s, Tortuga’s, and even the place with the great she-crab soup. What fun!
For me, one week is enough at the beach. Like you, I love the water and waves. But it sure it quiet. Somehow, I’m always more comfortable in the sea of corn that is Illinois or the rolling hills of Ohio, where I live now.
Thanks for sharing your story!
What fun to think that your visit oh so long ago has become a family tradition now! And yes, Sam & Omie’s is DEFINITELY on the list of “must see” places on the obx. I even sent a flyer about my book signing to the waitresses there, I hope they remember who we are…!
I follow your blog, but have never been to North Carolina. Love this photo, and hope you post more when you return. Safe trip!.
Hope you have a blast. How do you tell the boy crabs from the girls? Or do I want to know?
Hmm. I hope Mike can figure that one out, he is off at the fish market buying groceries so he can make dinner for the wonderful couple we are staying with here, not sure if crabmeat is on the list! I *do* know he was thinking of making paella…yum! He parked me at an
“internet cafe” AND I must say, I am feeling pretty darned cool using my talking laptop, typing blog comments from a coffee shop!
Hi Beth:
Your blog is an outstanding discovery for me. I can talk to you “legally: and not worry that being a bother with my essay revisions!
About your beautifully described trip. What the heck. You are in good company. Thoreau felt the same way about Walden.
Do I have access to previous blogs?
You mean Thoreau felt too needy at Walden, too? If so, you’re right: I *am* in good company! Will email you separately to let you know how to read my previous blog posts. Thanks for your interest!
Lovely post Beth. Enjoy your trip. I live 2 minutes walk from the beach, 5 minutes drive to town and its a 20 minute walk. I’m hoping to get my own house closer to town (if i can ever afford it) but its nice to know OJ can free run on the beach every weekend if he wants.
I’d love to think he could work until he is 12 and live to be 17 at least. Its a great age.
Oh, you lucky duck, living 2 minutes from the beach. I’m guessing, though, that in Northern Ireland it’s too cold to go *in* the water and swim?!
Glad you made the move back to our town, Beth! I so enjoy reading your blog but it’s great to have you and Hanni as locals so we reap the benefit of real live visits to the classrooms.
I loved learning more about Dora and that she lived to 17. Shandy just celebrated her 16th and we count every day as a gift. Maybe it’s the sense of purpose that work gives them that keeps them going. Mind you, a therapy dog’s work hardly compares to a seeing-eye dog’s, but I’m sure you know what I mean.
get up and go spirit at age 16. Happy birthday, Shandy!
Oops, somehow the beginning of my response about Shandy got cut off. Here it is, in its entirety (I hope!):
Oh, yes, I do know what you mean by sense of purpose, and hey – don’t diminish Shandy’s work in relation to the work guide dogs do. Truth is, Dora *retired* when she was 12, your wonderful Shandy still has that get up and go spirit at age 16. Happy birthday, Shandy!
The waters absolutely freezing, even in summer, but OJ doesn’t mind at all.
Hi Beth, It’s Jean from the Dare Writer’s group. I’m really sorry I didn’t get to see you at the book signing — I remembered at 4 — old age and all of that. I was wishing I had a way to get in touch, but it was really nice just knowing you were close by. And, yes, I’m still doing massages.
[…] know Kevin back in the 1990s, when he was working with my husband Mike at a start-up company called Spyglass. Kevin is smart, and he’s computer savvy, too, but so were most of the people I met at Spyglass. […]
[…] got to know Kevin back in the 1990s, when he was working with Mike at a start-up company called Spyglass. Kevin is smart, and he’s computer savvy, too, but so were most of the people I met at Spyglass. […]
[…] Mike left Spyglass, we moved to North Carolina. When Kevin left Spyglass, he moved to baseball. This story on the Astros web site […]
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