When I left home in Dallas in 1980, my mother gave me two pieces of advice: wherever you settle, find a good doctor, and get a library card. I returned to Wellfleet for the summer on Sunday. So, Monday, always following my mom’s advice, I made phone calls for physical therapy and planned my trip to the library.
Medical services on the Outer Cape are harder to come by than library facilities. I need PT but because of overbooking can’t get seen in town for a month. The library, meanwhile, was its usual hive of productive activity. People were standing outside locked doors, waiting to enter at opening time. Swarms of parents and young children headed for the kids’ section. Teens opened laptops and returned DVDs. Older folks headed for “new arrivals.”
I plopped down by the “Cape Cod” section, looking for books for my summer project for WCAI. My specific goal is to finish a series of radio stories about challenges peculiar to the Outer Cape – such as why my fellow Fleetians have long waits for health care but enjoy a superb library. More broadly, I want to understand what sets the Outer Cape apart. My sense is that many answers are rooted in what we think of as “nature” – space we imagine as untouched but which exists because people have made conscious decisions to shape and create it.
Like most people who are drawn to this part of the world, I’ve been coming to Wellfleet for 14 years because of its quiet beauty. During the school year, I live in the Boston area with my husband and our 16 ½-year-old triplets. Wellfleet is for family time throughout the year and especially for summer. I’m a reporter and historian. The ways that people and their places intersect interest me most. It’s my sense that the wild places on the Outer Cape may be faring better than the people. I suspect there is a correspondence between the two.
As I explore the links between people and places this summer for WCAI, I’ll be frequenting the Cape Cod section of the library – and driving to Orleans for PT. Many of you know the history of the Outer Cape far better than I, so send suggestions and perspectives in “comments.” Others may have lots to learn. Send me questions, and I’ll do my best to track and post answers.
