When I came into high school I had a close-knit group of friends we called 4hb, which stood for four hot babes. Although the name has stayed with us throughout high school, my group of friends is by no means limited to a number. I would love to say I got to know each and every person in my graduating class as much as I would have liked to, but unfortunately I did not. Having said that, each and every person sitting before me is a part of our community on Martha’s Vineyard and, therefore, we will always be connected. I looked up the definition of community and all it said was “a social group of any size whose members reside in a specific location.” Although that may be factually true, it was more than an understatement when it comes to describing our community on Martha’s Vineyard.

I’ve had my fair share of embarrassing moments, especially in the high school, but I will never forget the first day of my junior year. I was finally an upperclassman and I had my license and my car to show for it. But I wasn’t patient enough to wait for someone to let me back out. So, to get out of my parking space I decided to go straight through the one in front of me. Almost immediately I had run over the parking block. I started to panic because I had no idea how I was going to get the parking block out from under my car and everyone was starting to realize what I had just done. I only had to endure a few comments about how I probably shouldn’t have received my license before a group of boys came over to get the parking block out for me. I hadn’t asked for help, and I’m sure they all had places to be, but they saw I needed help and didn’t hesitate. That is the foundation for our community on Martha’s Vineyard. If a person needs help they need look no further than their left or right to find it.

My friends also helped me realize there is nowhere like the Island when it comes to safety. I had a hard time realizing you can’t leave your car unlocked with your iPod on the front seat and the keys in the cup holder in any place other than Martha’s Vineyard. I didn’t lock my car because I thought why would someone steal my car? They wouldn’t be able to drive it anywhere because everyone would know it was mine from my bumper stickers and my license plate border my dad put on that says “There’s a Hail Storm Coming.” But my friends wanted to prepare me for next year. They helped me come to my realization by stealing my car. At first I assumed a friend had borrowed my car without asking, which would be normal only on the Island. After a few minutes of actually thinking my car had been stolen, I got the point. Hopefully, the rest of my graduating class will have an easier time than I will have adjusting to living off-Island.

So often I think of the Island as such a small place compared to all of the world off-Island, but I’m sure I can speak for most of us when I say on almost every trip I’ve taken off-Island, whether it be a day shopping trip or a vacation to Cabo, I have come across another Islander. No matter where you are, seeing a face from home instantly gives you the sense of familiarity. Knowing they too will be rushing to catch the boat at the end of their trip gives me a sense of comfort. Although next year holds a lot of unsure obstacles for us, there is one we will all be glad to be rid of: the boat. Next year, if you want to spend an extra 20 minutes shopping or have a sit-down dinner instead of getting take-out, you won’t have to worry that you might not be able to get home. Every Islander has experienced that anxiety of will we or won’t we catch the boat. Yes, it is a hassle, but there are some positives to being surrounded by water. I have heard from multiple kids who went on to play sports in college that the chemistry and closeness of Island teams is irreplaceable. The endless hours of traveling for away games may have intruded on our piles of homework, but it brought us together in ways other teams will never experience.

We laugh when the jaws of off-Islanders drop when we tell them we have no fast food or malls, but in this society it truly does make us unique. It is rare a community like ours exists where most of our businesses are owned by local families and you can usually see the owner’s face working hard behind the counter as you enter their store. It’s exciting we will be able to get take-out past nine o’clock next year, and even more exciting you can have any food your heart desires delivered right to your door. But as much as I’m going to love the freedom, I will also deeply miss the one-of-a-kind restaurants our Island offers. There is nothing like walking into Morning Glory and smelling all the fresh produce and feeling the warmth from the baked goods. I always leave feeling healthier than when I came in, even though I usually go home and eat the entire loaf of zucchini bread.

Our community is full of people who ask how are you doing, not just as a greeting but because they actually care. It wasn’t until I needed support that I truly appreciated our community’s generosity and eagerness to get involved. This past January my grandmother died, and it was a huge comfort to see how many people thought she was as amazing as I did. People from every generation and aspect of my family’s lives offered overwhelming amounts of support I never could have anticipated. It was my grandpa who helped me realize it was unusual, yes incredible, that even my field hockey team and coach had come to support us.

Our community is unique in the rarest of ways, and although I hope each of us will find our new communities next year equally supportive, I know this will be almost impossible. To my Mom, Dad, Gam and Grandpa: I love you and I never could have made it this far without all of you. To my graduating class: congratulations and cherish the time we have left here. No matter where life takes us next year, we will always have the memories.

 

Hayley Pierce is class essayist for the class of 2010. She will attend the University of Miami in Miami, Fla.