A few miles north of Oceanside, my favorite beach, lies the town of Bayocean. One day, on a whim, Jay and I drove up to the Tillamook Spit to see the town, only to find a long gravel road ending at a narrow field. We turned around, confused, and never thought much of it.
A month ago, during an ecology lecture, Dr. Knight asked if anyone had heard of the town of Bayocean. I was the only one of 75 people to raise my hand. He then told us a brief history.
Bayocean was, in its time, a thriving resort town. Entering Tillamook Bay from the ocean, though, was difficult and dangerous, so the town asked the Army to build them a jetty. The Army engineers suggested that they build two jetties, at a cost of $2.2 million. The town settled on only one jetty, which vastly improved the ease of travel. However, the redirected seawater began to erode away the beaches. Before long, the entire town fell into the sea. All that remains is the sign at the southern city limits, and a recreational area full of broken, exposed pipes.
I feel a kinship with the story of this town. I feel as if I'm slowly slipping away from my friends, that nobody really listens to me (with the exception of my family and a few very close friends), and that someday I'll be so withdrawn that nobody will remember me. Maybe if I make some changes, I'll turn this feeling around...
Anyways, the cool sea air was definitely what I needed to clear my mind, and it was a beautiful day.
~Marina
Destroy the jetty! Destroy the jetty!
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