Our place is filled with family and visitors in the summertime. We’ve got mattresses on the floor, people on the couch, wet and muddy footprints on the dark wood floors, sandy towels, dirty socks, soggy bathing suits piled by the washing machine. Sometimes there are 10 people or more at any given meal, and day or night you can always find somebody snacking, so there are always dishes needing to be washed. The meals require planning, shopping, preparing, clearing up afterward. I go around picking up dropped candy wrappers, books splayed open on chairs and tables where someone’s reading got interrupted, game pieces that didn’t get put away, and find an astonishing collection of baseball caps that need to be stuffed into the hat drawer or hung by the front door. It’s a parade of constant tidying and cooking and shopping and driving to and fro. It is chaotic, and sometimes really difficult.
I have so much respect for those grown-ups, all over this Island, who are walking this summer walk for their families and friends, juggling calendars and needs and transport, and, for us locals, our work. The four grownups who live on our home compound are surely feeling the pressure of it. We’re tired! That said, we are also clear — it may be chaotic, but it is a joyful chaos that fills our hearts, and we are grateful that we can make it possible for those we love. We watch as the cousins race to the waves, or wrestle together like a pile of happy puppies, or stand outside in the dark night, looking up at the stars. We laugh or groan at the hilarious jokes told around the dinner table. We see our relatives begin to relax and find some peace in this beautiful place, and feel so grateful for it all. We are lucky to live here year-round, and sharing it with those we love is not just worth it, it is absolutely the best. So with so much else that is irritating or difficult or alarming with the world, let’s all give a cheer for summer.
Among the joys of this time are the myriad cultural events that take place during the summer months. Our family attended the M.V. Book Festival in Chilmark. My teen and preteen grandchildren gave the ultimate compliment to the writer Kwame Alexander by rising early enough to attend his 8:15 am talk. Kwame Alexander is one of those rare humans who can move grown-ups and kids alike with his work. The kids had read his Crossover series, and loved it. I had read “Why Fathers Cry At Night,” and was so enamored that I got through it in one sitting. It was such a treat to watch my kiddos eagerly leaning forward to listen to a writer talk about his craft, watching a love for literature grow in the next generation. I am forever indebted to Kwame Alexander, to those who made this festival happen, and to writers everywhere who make the world available to us all. (If you want to meet a bunch of writers and learn more about the craft, Islanders Write takes place at Featherstone all day on August 21, with free workshops and panels guaranteed to get your literary juices flowing.)
Culture continues on Thursday, August 24, when the Aquinnah Cultural Center invites tribal families to Cultural Night from 6 to 8 pm at the Wampanoag Community Center. Cultural nights consist of lessons, activities, stories, and time to socialize with your community. On the 24th, you are invited to bring your own craft to work on as you visit.
And at the Aquinnah library on August 24, the Book Group meets at 3 pm to discuss “Hang the Moon.” At 4 pm on that same day, you have a chance to hear Tamara Weiss and Amanda Benchley tell stories of local Island artists featured in their book, “Vineyard Folk.”
Birthday wishes to Barbara Bassett on August 20; to my own beloved daughter Noli Taylor on August 23; and to Made Crowell on August 29. Gabbi’s adorable granddaughter Wren Castro-Goldin is turning 3 on August 16.. Happy birthday, dear Wren.
I really want to report your news, but to get it in the paper on time, I need it the week before the event or celebration. Think of it this way: Send me your news at least a week in advance. Our Aquinnah column can only be as good as we all make it.
And, of course, HAVE FUN AT THE FAIR!
If you have any Aquinnah Town Column suggestions, email Kathie Olson, aquinnahcolumn@gmail.com.