Wednesday, August 30, 2006
LOCALS
I have lived a lot of my years in resort communities.
I grew up in the Poconos in Pennsylvania.
Glad to get out, thanks.
Boston has its own kind of tourism allure; American history with a dollop of the seaport.
For five summers we lived in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Actually, we were part time locals; a mid-point between tourist, summer person and full time townie.
We stayed from April until November when our no-heat, no insulation, second floor shack/house froze us out.
We never worked there. But, I maxed out my time on the road in non PTown months so I could be a near-local.
Now, we live in Palm Springs. Full time townies.
We don't see tourists as a rule. They are here. We are told that 25 or 30,000 people are here and never know it. They are absorbed into the big resorts; playin' golf.
This is a great meditation on locals in Provincetown and the snide pleasures of one-upping the day-tripper, the time sharer or the guest house habitue.
This guy was a whale-boat ticket agent. You can't get much more local than that in Provincetown unless you are a fisherman or a full time drunk.
