The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter. [volume] (Manteo, N.C.) 1959-1973, 1960-01-15
OUR DUTY TO AN ASSET
OUR SENIOR CITIZENS

those in retirement who come to
our Coastland to make their home.
Some call them "Golden Ayers"
other call them "Senior Citizens,
but by whatever term, these genial
folks baslxing on the sunny side of
life are extremely important to
us. Their presence offers us
great challenge; their importance
in our community likewise extends
us a great responsibility.
We get many things of value be-
cause they have chosen our home
Land for their retirement. We like
to think that we have an ideal spot
for retired people to come to for
residence during their ageing years.
We suggest it costs less to live
here, but that is a moot question
in these days, since the world has
grown so close together. We speak
of our mild climate, and it is a
lot milder than in some other
places, yet still rugged in COM
pariSon with the far south.
But the most important factor
we can develop, and will cost us
nothing, to attract, retired people
to us, is the atmosphere to come
from our hearts and our conduct
toward these people. We must
not be led astray by the purely
selfish notion that they will be
glad to come here to trade with
our stores, build homes and pay
taxes. We often remind ourselves
that from a fiscal viewpoint the
residence of our retired newcomers
is all clear gain, since they are
self-supporting and impose no
burdens on our welfare depart
ment; their children are grown and
they cost our school funds nothing.
Few of these people are naive
enough to come here looking for
lower living costs, and any well
informed person can know in adj
vance all about our climate through
the simple method of writing
letter or two.
What has attracted most of our
new retired residents may be
simply summed up. Ask any of
them. First, they have usually Wis
tied here, and were then fortunate
ly capitivated by the friendliness
and hospitality of the people whom
they met at the time. A single act
of discourtesy or dishonesty might
have driven them away with a bad
taste in their mouth.
The other important factor is
the natural charm of our region.
It's scenery, its history, and its OPP
portunity for recreation. 1t is
therefore important this be con-
served and protected, and not be
desecrated merely to make profits
for avaricious persons.
We can readily grasp the secret
of how to keep these people COM
ing here, and of keeping them
happy after they have come, once
we know the reason why they leave
their former homes. Here are most
of the reasons they are willing to
leave the places where roots had
once been deep:
Among these new and valued
visitors are many, who by reason
of various careers they had pur-
sued a lifetime, had never put
down any roots, nor were permit
ted to stay put in any one town
long enough to become a part of
it.
Then there are a greater num-
Der whose lifetime friends are
mostly dead or scattered to the
far corners of the earth. Because
their children too are married and
moved affair from home, they are
left to live in loneliness, and in
looking about the once happy do
main which they formerly shared
all through this rapidly fleeting
life, are reminded daily of Lowell's
meditation: "The milestones into
headstones turn, meath everyone
friend"
New faces surround them, none
of them familiar, few of them
friendly, all of them attached to
frantic and frenetic newcomers
lost in the bewilderment of try
ing to keep up with the Joneses
in this complex age that envel-
opes us.
These ageing people cannot, even
though inclined, while away their
loneliness in the endeavors and
activities which younger constitu-
tions endure in the fain hope
that they are enjoying life and
getting good time for their
money. That day is long past for
the elders.
The place that all of these fine
old folks are looking for may be
as mythical as old Ponce's "foun-
tain of YOUTH" but like a dim
star of any faith, it offers hope.
They are looking for a neighbor-
hood that will be kind to them.
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