This was a learning summer for me. I learned how one can see without having sight. I have watched blind navigators for years with awe and admiration, but it was something to experience it. Thank you Kate Crohan for that wonderful walk you took me on.

I learned recently that one can have huge ambitions and yet remain a balanced human being. Paul Massey wants to be mayor of New York city with every fiber of his being, and yet his family and friends remain paramount in his life.

I learned that it is possible to play competitive tennis well into your seventies. Lyn Herrick and Jane Coe battled it out in July in the women’s singles final with impressive grace and stamina on the court. Jim Guest and Dan Hogan, two men well into their seventies, played impressive matches in both singles and doubles in the August tournament.

For the 10th year I covered the tennis club and beach club meetings with pen in hand hoping for something interesting to report. Sadly, I learned once again that our club meetings are boring. Why? Because there are so many dedicated volunteers working behind the scenes to make both clubs work seamlessly. As we are learning in the age of Trump, good news does not make it to press.

I was inspired in talking with Jeff Traenkle about the eight East Choppers who flew for the navy in World War II. The thing that jumped out at me, however, was the role that chance plays in every human life. Graham Dripps was originally assigned to the ship Cythera. I would not be married to Lyn if Graham had sailed on Cythera because she was sunk by a German submarine 30 days after leaving port.

Kevin Grassa told me something I have long believed. If you need a little coaching on the name Grassa, Kevin and his wife Elaine purchased the home on East Chop Drive across from the lighthouse. According to Kevin, East Chop has pretty nifty kids. They partied for 10 years while the house was on the market and left no lasting damage.

Dick Sanford, the Connecticut baseball coach who took his team to play in Cuba, made me proud to be an American. Tad Hazelton, the Cathay Pacific pilot, and Dr. John Labis, the sports medicine radiologist from Houston, humbled me with their extensive knowledge of their professions. Finally, good old Sam Barnes reinforced for us all that genes matter. The Barnes Family art exhibit at Featherstone in late June was totally impressive.

What ties all this together? Simply the fact that we live in a very special community with a lot of interesting people. I am honored to tell their stories and plan to be back next summer with more of the same. For those of you leaving us after another East Chop summer, have a great winter. It would be nice to say and hurry back soon, but give us full-timers a few months. We relish the idea that in a few weeks we will be able to drive up Circuit avenue and find a parking space. Come January we will miss you!

Send East Chop news to herricklr@verizon.net.