More Southampton Doings

Last year, it was all new, and I reveled in the discovery. This year, I knew what I was coming back to, and there was some comfort in the familiar. I repeated two of my favorite activities from last year, the Christopher Lesta 5K and the Wounded Warrior Walk. Both made me feel part of the small-town community, and both were very personal. In the 5K I ran for a while with someone whose daughter had been in Christopher’s kindergarten class; at the walk, the parents of the soldier in whose memory it was organized spoke, and we all observed a moment of silence and gazed at the bridge named for him. The Wounded Warrior Walk is a small Sag Harbor event – at the end of the walk, bike riders from the much bigger Soldier Ride come through and do a ceremonial lap through town, led by wounded warriors – I’m anti-war, but I do support the troops, and to see them and think about those in harm’s way is very moving. The ride goes through much of the South Fork – it would be fun to do it sometime! Recently the New York Times Sunday Styles section included the announcement of the wedding of two people who met on the Soldier Ride – it CAN happen!



I also did some new Southampton runs this year that I wasn’t around for last year – the Firecracker 8K and the Flying Point 8K. In a 5K, there are always lots of runners at my (slow) pace, but in the 8Ks, it’s mostly faster runners. So it’s a little lonely out there, but still rewarding – the flat, tree-lined streets with glimpses of big houses through the hedges make for nice courses.

I attended the Memorial Day and Independence Day parades – small-town America! The Memorial Day parade was literally about ten minutes long – some veterans, some boy scouts, a band or two and that was it. The Fourth of July parade was more than a couple of hours long – I didn’t stay for the whole thing! I call that growth – I didn’t need to stay until the bitter end. It was fun – lots of veterans, lots of local groups, lots of fire trucks – but after a while, I had enough! The fireworks in Southampton took place on the 2nd this year (the Friday night of July 4th weekend) and I walked down the beach in the dark to watch them in the distance. I had the beach to myself!




To get to the Wounded Warrior Walk, I took the Suffolk County bus. I was vaguely aware of the buses last year, but didn’t really think about where they went. This bus went to and from Sag Harbor! There’s also one that goes to East Hampton and beyond! Not only that, but when my sister and her family came to visit, I had occasion to drive the car that my brother-in-law leaves out here and offered me use of. I haven’t used it much other than when they’ve been here, but knowing that I can do that or take the bus makes for a changed mindset. I still tend to stick to the little world that I can walk or bike to – mostly because I go into town for things I need (such as food), and a drive or bus ride would be for something frivolous (such as going out to eat) when I should be looking for a job….

I left for the Philippines at the end of July last year; it’s been nice to be here in the late summer and fall this year (although in the back of my mind I thought I might be elsewhere by now, so I’ve made it more stressful for myself than I needed to, and I’m getting a little concerned about the coming winter). It’s wonderful to see the different things that bloom throughout the summer and fall. And it’s been a long time since I’ve seen beautiful fall colors. I love fall colors! These are Montauk daisies, in bloom at the end of September/beginning of October. Who knew?