Scent & Sound of the Sea: An historic look at my favorite seaside spot

October 12, 2009 | Comments (0)

As a child I spent every summer along the seashore of Southern New Jersey in a small town perched on a tiny 7 mile long strip of sand called Absecon Island. The town - Atlantic City, NJ

Well, technically I spent my summers in Ventnor, NJ - which is one of three towns along that wedge of land. To be even more specific, I spent my summers in the yellow section of the Monopoly Board - between Ventnor and Atlantic avenues not too far from Marvin Gardens.

Southern Jersey is the usual summertime stomping grounds for folks from Philadelphia and its suburbs (from whence I came), but in my family's case, this place had particularly special meaning.

My father was born and raised there. These days you don't find many folks who fit that category (though I did meet someone at Jeff Pulver's 140 Character Conference in New York last June from there!), but back in those days, it was a lovely community and called by some "the vacation spot of the nation".

My parents met in Atlantic City. The summer after my mother graduated college, she went "down the shore" with her family as they did every summer. Some family friend said to my grandparents, "Have we got a boy for your Doris," and thus the match was made.

Years later my parents bought a beach house - just before I was born - and so every summer of my life we'd pack up from our suburban Philadelphia home and head for the beach. My father would come down on weekends, usually for long weekends, and my mother and I would camp out there until Labor Day.

This idyllic place hit the skids in the late 60s and 70s but even as a child, I recall the magnificent hotels that still stood lining the coast - sentries of a time gone by. Many of the "old time" practices, like post dinner strolls along "the boards", trips to the amusement piers and fishing along the coast - were still in full swing.

Though it's been many years - probably close to two decades - since I even set foot on the glistening white sands of Southern Jersey, but to this day, the scent of sea takes me back.

The other day my mother forwarded this YouTube video ... it made me smile ... and remember.

Finding your own voice: The journey to authentic communication

March 16, 2005 | Comments (0)

For some reason that feels like a high falutin' subject line. But the truth is, it's fitting.

I've spent such a substantial part of my career helping other people find and express their voices, that my own got a bit muddy in the process - a fly in the ointment of personal and professional development to say the least.

I'm not creatively frozen or anything, mind you, but the whole idea of actually shaping and sharing what's on my mind, well, it's more than a bit daunting.

"But Cathy," you might say. "You seem to be doing just fine. Just look at the Commentary section of the site."

Ah yes, but this is the audio section, which by definition requires actually uttering aforementioned thinking orally.

Which is precisely why this section will be last place I'll add content. I'm feeling pretty good about the basic library now in Commentary. Now I'm tackling Audio, and have already made some headway in the other categories - News & Events and Personalities & Profiles. In those sections my focus is on giving you a chance to hear some amazing thoughts from amazing people. I ask some questions, but for the most part, I let them do the talking.

Not in this section. In Theory & Opinion it's my turn to do the talking.

For many years people have told me that I should do stand-up. Frankly I don't think that I have the courage for that work. But I will cop to agreeing with the sentiment that I have the ability to engender more than just a chuckle or two from many a group.

My intention is to bring that skill (and hopefully some laughs) to this section.

Stay tuned ...