MMTT4S - Beach Music Just Plays On

Captain's log: 28 June 2019, 10:10 AM

Aloha, Amigos! 

I find myself suddenly on an impromptu trip to Sullivan’sIsland on the coast of South Carolina near historic Charleston. Moments earlier, I had kissed my wife and daughter goodbye as they were heading to this same destination to meet another mother-daughter duo. The latter duo had to back out at the last minute and my son and I replaced them – a last minute substitution. Take advantage of opportunities. No regrets. Our day of golf and pretty much slacking off otherwise can happen another time. We’re going to the beach.

My view on Sullivan's

 As I think about one of my most beloved areas in the world – the South Carolina low country – I think back to my time as a teen in my church’s youth group. A handful of us traveled down to Beaufort every summer where we’d spend our nights in a cheap motel for a week and spend our days working with the locals out on Daufuskie Island, a small and wild barrier Island off the coast of Hilton Head. It was the early 1980’s then and the inhabitants of the island were a group of Gullah people – descendants of freed slaves – who rarely, if ever, stepped foot on the mainland. Daufuskie was basically unspoiled then. One sand road served as the travel vein that connected the lone boat dock/post office to the one-room school house/church and encircled and crossed the island. The only way to reach the island was by boat and the Bowman family would greet us with the sunrise over the marina where their boat waited to deliver us across Calibogue Sound.

There was one vehicle on Daufuskie – a small, old rusted out passenger van that rarely ran. So we usually walked from the dock to the church, tools, cooler, and supplies in tow. As we walked along the sandy, root-riddled path, children from 5 to 18 would emerge from shacks and shanties framed by Spanish moss hanging from massive oaks and join our convoy. Despite the swarms of mosquitos and intense heat and humidity, the walk revealed the absolute natural beauty of the island and its people. The girls in our group would engage the young kids with songs and crafts and snacks and stories, while the guys would help with general repair work and improvements where needed. I’m not sure who looked forward to the week more, me or the kids we got to know. The days were hot and long but tremendously rewarding. The Gullah people seemed completely content with their lives, but also seemed appreciative of our visit because we didn’t try to impose the modernity and conveniences of our lives upon them.

Image courtesy of
PatConroy.com

Image courtesy of
PatConroy.com

Pat Conroy, beloved South Carolina author, wrote amazing novels that were somewhat autobiographical in nature, calling on his own life’s experiences in the South Carolina low country for characters and inspiration. He used his stint as a teacher on Daufuskie as a muse for his novel The Water is Wide. Many of his experiences with the inhabitants of the island mirror what I experienced on my trips there years ago. Conroy also penned The Prince of Tides in 1986, a story about the struggles and secrets of the Wingos, a stereotypical southern family who masked dysfunction and even horrors with syrupy smiles, stubborn fortitude, and forced ignorance. Jimmy Buffett, inspired by the story and its setting on the coastal marsh of South Carolina, asked Conroy for permission to title a song by the same name as the novel – “Prince of Tides.”  Conroy happily agreed, and we now have a terrific novel and a terrific song. Buffett takes some key phrases from the text and integrates them into his song. Interestingly enough, right after a segue into a line from the Carolina beach classic “Save the Last Dance For Me,” the song ends with the words, “Beach music, beach music, beach music just plays on.” Conroy loved the song and actually got his own inspiration from that last line, titling his 1995 novel Beach Music. Inspirational turnabout from two masters of their games. 

Image courtesy of PatConroy.com

Daufuskie is now home to an upscale country club, the unspoiled and innocent past fallen victim to development. That also inspired Buffett in his song. It’s sad. I support capitalism and freedom, and I understand why developers chose Daufuskie for a golf course, country club, and private upscale community. It’s breathtakingly beautiful. You still have to arrive by boat; there is a ferry service. The roads are now paved but golf carts are the only mode of transport. The amenities are lavish. It really is striking. It is no longer innocent, though. While a lot of natural beauty has been preserved, it just doesn’t feel natural, especially compared to what it used to be. I know, I know, development of some sort must occur if we are to inhabit a place. I just hope we are trying to find a balance.

Today’s song, “Prince of Tides,” is one of my favorites, not only because I really like the music, but I can also relate to its content. So, grab a Conroy novel, or 2, or 3, and take a listen to today’s tropical tune – it’s on Buffett’s Hot Water album from 1988. That sounds like a very summery thing to do, if you ask me.

Image courtesy of Amazon.com