By:Jason Scheer
Four months ago, I walked into the unfamiliar offices of Richner Communications, eager to land a position as a summer intern. I tried to be as professional as possible, slicking my hair back with professional-hold gel and wearing my family's most professional-looking, hand-me-down pinstripe suit, which, given the massive man that I am, could have fit two of me. I was 100 percent ready for an interview, and by ready, of course, I mean not ready at all.
But the editors of the Baldwin and Oceanside Heralds gave me the job anyway; I guess they were both in good moods. Either that or they felt bad for me in my horrendously oversized suit, which was fine by me. Pity is your friend.
In any case, I got the position. And I got a chance: a chance to learn the ins and outs of a community that has been my home. Four months later, as I sit at my desk typing this last column, I am very thankful for that chance.
When I moved, along with my family -- following about half of Brooklyn's population -- to Long Island in 1997, I did so expecting to move into a quiet, quaint world of quintessential suburbs filled with friendly people, sprawling trees, in-ground swimming pools and large lawns. Compared with my humble hometown of Canarsie, Oceanside seemed like a town out of an Aaron Spelling TV series. The only thing was, in "Beverly Hills 90210" and "Melrose Place" there was drama and action. To me, Oceanside 11572 and the rest of this place just seemed dull.
As usual, I was wrong.
If these past four months have taught me anything, it's that our area is not a haven. It is not the geographical equivalent of the bubble boy, protected and impermeable, pristine and totally uncorrupted.
Between my first day and my last, the area endured a computer scandal, a phony hostage situation, a hit-and-run accident and a church burglary, among other incidents. There have also been alleged political scandals involving unclaimed letters, and letters claiming politicians don't care written by, you guessed it, other politicians.
Yes, my original vision of a perfect neighborhood wasn't exactly accurate. There was more to Long Island than tree-lined streets and swimming pools, and these incidents served to show me that.
But just as my experiences at the Herald have challenged my original perception of the area, they've also given me the opportunity to meet people who go out of their way to make sure that their town -- my town, our town -- remains as close to our ideal vision as possible.
For example, I was introduced to the members of Operation SPLASH, who take to the water every day, picking garbage out of the canals left there by others who either don't care or don't realize that the water isn't a garbage dump.
And I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Thomas Demaria, the South Nassau Communities Hospital doctor working hard to make sure that people like Allison Hobbs and her young daughter, Jacquelyn, so ravaged by the events of Sept. 11, continue to have a place to turn to cope with their loss.
I was there to witness a street dedication ceremony that will ensure that the residents of Davis Street in Oceanside will forever remember that they lived beside a hero in New York City firefighter Thomas Gardner, who gave his life trying to save others when the Twin Towers fell.
I also met many students of local schools who will no doubt be an integral part of the community in the future. They will one day be teachers, doctors and chefs, giving their teachers something to be proud of. Who knows? Maybe by then I'll even have a real job.
Yes, these past four months have allowed me to walk the proverbial fence, a great vantage point from which to view what is going on in both sides of our neighborhood: the unpaved streets and the prim backyards, the sewage plants and the waterfront restaurants, the worst and the best that the community has to offer.
The experience has been one I will cherish, as it certainly beats the alternative of sitting on the couch at home playing video games, and going swimming. Then again ...
In any case, I am thankful for the opportunity I have been given by my two remarkable, hard-working and extremely good-looking editors, who I hope will be hiring when I get my college degree. And I hope that the stories I wrote here during these past four months made as much of an impression on the community as my experiences at the Herald have made on me.
