I’ve been following the progress of rebuilding Seaside Heights after Hurricane Sandy. I’ve logged into the tourism site, http://exit82.com/, and I marveled at the renovation of the boardwalk, especially after seeing just a shell of what was during my trip to the Shore back in March. From my oceanside perch I could see the Sandy devastation up close and personal, replacing the non-existent boardwalk and remnants of boardwalk stores, shops and eateries with images from my memory bank.

So it was exciting to see the planks on the boardwalk being laid down and reading the reports of stores and attractions returning.  And periodically I check in to see what’s going on in the summer home away from home of my youth.

The Jersey shore has a special place in my heart … especially Seaside Heights. I don’t want see a new and improved Seaside Heights. I want to see the Heights rise from the rubble and return to its former self.

It wasn’t unusual for a group of us to head to Seaside on a Friday or Saturday night for some girl watching and a sausage and pepper sandwich … that’s right, an hour and forty-five minute drive down and an hour and forty-five minute drive back for a couple of hours on the boardwalk and a meal. My personal best was 78 minutes, although I won’t go into details. I almost blew my first engine on the Garden State Parkway on the way home one night (early morning) stopping at every travel center for a couple of quarts of oil to get back home.

It looks like that’s happening … slowly but surely. The key word there is slowly.

There is a webcam of the Seaside Heights boardwalk, http://www.earthcam.com/usa/newjersey/seasideheights/. It’s a great vantage point from 300 plus miles away.

I guess what struck me as I periodically watched the stream was how empty it was … especially for a 90 degree Friday day/night in mid July. Don’t get me wrong, there were people on the beach and a nice crowd on the boardwalk. But it wasn’t shoulder to shoulder as I remember it. I mean back in the 60s you could end up with a phone number just walking along the boardwalk and bumping into a fine filly. Don’t take my word for it … check out the Seaside Heights Sun and Fun Promo Tourism Film 1960 at .

One of these weekends, I’ll probably head back down to the Shore {that’s what we Garden State natives call it} just to soak up the ambiance. If I want to get back to my center, I have to go to the Jersey shore. I could walk for hours along the ocean shoreline — and have. I am completely mesmerized by the ebb and flow of the tides. It’s my quiet place. It’s where I re-connect with God. It’s where I come to peace with myself. If I’m really getting overwhelmed, I’ll head down to the Jersey shore, sometimes for just a couple of hours. As I breathe in the salty air, I can literally feel the anxiety ebb. As I watch the birds play in the surf, all my cares are lifted. When I walk down the pier into Barnegat Bay, I’m in a different place … and it carries over for days and weeks.

In the meantime, I know I can watch the boardwalk, beach and surf at http://www.earthcam.com/usa/newjersey/seasideheights/ … any time, day or night.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: No one knows the weight of another’s burdens.