Cape Cod Family

By Bob Surrette

Much like much of the Cape, many Cape Cod families are different from those on the mainland. For an example that illustrates that point, I consider two of my summer only, mostly only weekends, neighbors as family. We celebrate family events together, birthdays, anniversaries, etc, but only those that occur during the high season. We go into suspended animation in the late fall only to re-emerge in the early spring as though we hadn't been apart for a day.

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The most intellectually stimulating branch of my Cape family are the members of my writers group. If anything is going to slow the atrophy of my medically certified unremarkable brain, it is interacting with these brilliant, creative and supportive Cape Codders. I cherish my moments with each and every one of them, some more than others, of course. You know who you are.

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I also have a public safety branch of my Cape family, police, fire and rescue. I am a light blue adjunct to these brave men and women in true blue who serve and protect. While they see me as volunteering my time and talent to their mission, in my mind I get back so much more than I give by being a part of their important and necessary work in our community. I believe I also get great returns serving my town by volunteering for ongoing and ad hoc civic efforts. Although it's almost always duty time when I join in with the family that is my town, we do break our overnight fast together once a year, bacon, eggs and hash browns by the Sound.

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