boardwalkers

boardwalkers, originally uploaded by eastaltus.

My grandmother lives near the boardwalk in Asbury Park. I have alot of memories of the waterfront there, fragmented pictures of my parents are forever associated with that stretch of sand. I hadn't been there in a very long time, so under the semi-guise of doing research for a new book, I went and spent a week in New Jersey.
When I finally made it to the boardwalk on the last night of my visit, I found that the once vibrant buildings that housed the arcade and the merry-go-round (where my parents met) on the boardwalk were deserted and barely standing. I walked up and down the beach with my Mom and Dad in the cold ocean air and wondered why it felt like we were the last people on Earth.
I still have dreams about the boardwalk, twisted versions, a mix of fact and what I remember it to be. They never make sense after I wake up, but then rarely do any of my dreams.