Barrier Islands, snowbirds, and the future
I’ve had the fortune to escape the endless winter of Buffalo
and head south to Perdido Key, a barrier island on the Gulf Coast. 70% of this key is still natural and escaped
the rows of high rises crammed on the beach which is a such a part of
Florida. This key has the natural beauty
of sugar white sand, dunes, and several parks which preserve what one sign
described as the true Florida. Despite
the horrific gulf spill, dolphins still swim by, herons fish, and pelicans fly
overhead.
The question is for how long. One of the barrier islands thins to the width
of a road which most certainly gets covered with water in storms. The last hurricane destroyed the pretty
wooden houses on the beach and left the uglier more solid cement
constructions. With ocean levels on the
rise and coastal properties in danger how long will these places last? Through my lifetime? I always imagined that global warming would
take place in its fiercest form long after my lifetime but I was wrong. I never would have imagined New York flooded
by Sandy. Nor would I have thought the
polar vortex would drain all my energies throughout this long grueling
winter.
And that brings me to another question. Any place you go on the coast is peopled by
older snowbirds from Canada and northern states. They are lucky enough to afford to spend the
winter away from the freezing cold. How
many people of my generation will be able to retire? I don’t see it as a possibility at all
especially living in the US. If I had
stayed in Spain it might have been more likely.
Here will I end up as a cashier at a dollar store in an attempt to
supplement whatever meager retirement I get?
