When I was a boy, I knew of not many things outside the ocean-lined bluffs that skirt Block Island’s shore. A secluded little oasis just 13 miles off the coast of Rhode Island is where I was fortunate enough to call home. It is a place as historically rich as the seasonal homeowners, who come from all around, and who live in some of the most beautiful homes in New England — with views to match. The island was first settled by natives, and then colonized in 1661, and since has become a summertime paradise for many. But as locals struggle to make ends meet in the wintertime, it can quickly become a fleeting paradise once Columbus Day nears.
I had six kids in my class at the Block Island School growing up. It was with these kids I built sibling-like bonds that I cherish to this day. As my early years progressed, it was with nearly the entire island community that I had the pleasure to cultivate very similar bonds, that, very well, shaped me into who I am today. As I grew, it was if I saw the island, too, grow. Before my very own eyes,