Near the Great Auditorium on Oct. 30, 2012. Paul Goldfinger photo. © Click to enlarge. Blogfinger.net
THE MORMON TABERNACLE CHOIR:
Remembering Sandy —– a photo essay. 3rd anniversary on October 29, 2015. We will be revisiting that storm through photographs. Send us your best shots.
October 3, 2015 by Blogfinger
Why do I want to remember Sandy?
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Willie: Sandy was a defining moment for the Jersey Shore. It caused terrible havoc, fear and destruction. It forced everyone who visits and lives at the Jersey Shore to reconsider what it means to come here and make this our home.
In Ocean Grove it forced us to reexamine certain truths about our town and about the use of public money to rebuild. And regarding the latter, it forced us to take a fresh look at the Camp Meeting Association and its connection to the public and to reconsider the unique church/ state relationships in Ocean Grove. For many it brought a new appreciation of the CMA.
We also could not help but appreciate how vulnerable and valuable the historic structures in the Grove are. Up and down the Jersey Shore, Sandy forced us to see first hand the power of nature. This was no tornado in Kansas—this was an unleashing of natural forces that we don’t usually see in New Jersey. It broke many records, and 173 people died due to Sandy in the United States alone, with many more in other countries. Ocean Grove was lucky but not unimpressed.
And don’t forget, for many, Sandy is still very much alive as some Jersey Shore residents continue to suffer because of it—for them it is not yet a memory.
As a photographer, it was a dramatic occasion that produced many striking photographs, so we want to recall the event through pictures.
Willie: As for you, only you can answer your question. But regardless of how impressed (or not) you might have been, Sandy will be remembered at the Jersey Shore as is Katrina in New Orleans and as other major natural disasters are recalled around the world.
Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger
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People need to get on with there lives and stop remembering, memorializing, heroizing, dedicating and most of all stop abusing the American Flag by lowering it every other week except when a President of the United States passes. It’s all history. Get over it and get on with living.
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Very well said Paul. My spouse and I endured the horrific wrath of Sandy, after our home in Long Beach Island was destroyed. Memories shared with friends and family are fondly remembered, and some of whom are sadly no longer with us to take a trip down memory lane with. After Sandy, we feared what our Souls loved the most – which was living by the Ocean. We feared losing everything again to a natural disaster. Our love for the Ocean by far supersedes our fear of the possible loss again.
There’s nothing we take for granted and much of that is because of our loss from Sandy. It’s so much more than the tangible material things we lost, as we felt we lost pieces of our Soul’s happiness – because we missed the Ocean so much.
So, after completely falling in love with Ocean Grove, we knew we needed to bury our fear and live the life we needed to live – and live by the Ocean again. After buying our home in Ocean Grove, we couldn’t be happier on all levels.
Remembering Sandy isn’t just something that happened a few years ago…it changed our ‘selves’. It changed our outlook, our appreciation and it prioritized what’s most important to us.
I understand why someone may not see the significance or have the appreciation of others’ Sandy stories, including pictures of those Sandy stories – because perhaps their individual insight can not compare to anyone else’s, as the impact wasn’t the same for them.
When Hurricane Joaquin was threatening to visit the Shores of NJ, everything in me froze with fear. But, my fear was once again buried, as I strongly pressed forward preparing my home and family for another possible threatening hurricane.
Seeing pictures of Sandy and hearing others’ stories of Sandy makes me feel even more appreciative that my Spouse and I made it through with smiles on our faces and happiness within our hearts, while still loving our life living at the Jersey Shore.
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Jennifer. Thank you for sharing such a personal and heartfelt insight. –Paul
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