Off Season Fun at the Shore

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

Summer is winding down which means the shores will soon be empty of tourists and travelers. Shores like Wildwood, Ocean City, Long Beach Island, and many others often end their summer season around the teens in September. It’s a week after Labor Day, so naturally families will utilize that weekend to squeeze out the very last of summer.

However, just because the summer season comes to a close doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the shore. Here are some things you can do during the off season at the shore.

5. Shop

Take note of the shops. Most shops stay open for a week more after the off season to snag some last summer deals. Usually stores promoting summer wares and food are closed, but others may still remain open. For example, Ocean City NJ has a Christmas shop and a few arcades on the boardwalk that are open year round.

4. Snag Some Sales

Speaking of shops, since it is the off season you can score some great deals. You can get clothes for $10 and under as well as other accessories like purses. Even some arcades that offer a specific point amount for prizes reduce their points as a part of ‘end of summer sale’.

3. Do a Photoshoot

Want to do an uninterrupted photoshoot on the beach? Go during the off season. You’ll still get sun, experience the sand, and be at peace with no gawking onlookers or photo bombers.

2. Get Exercise

While it is good to exercise any time during the year, the shore during the off season is a good place for working out. You can run up and down the boardwalk and/or the sand, you can bike along the boards, do yoga on the beach next to the sound of waves, and don’t have to worry about the crowds getting in your way.

1.Experience the Local Culture

You can always take in the local culture. Each beach town has its own quirks. For example, Long Beach Island is more laid back and quiet as to where Wildwood is a haven for teenagers. While their boardwalk shops may be closed, you can still enjoy the local eateries, the small businesses, and try something new.

Thanks for reading tonight’s entry. If you enjoyed it, feel free to comment, critique, share, and subscribe.

So tell me, do you like to go to the shore during the off season?

Grayson Gets His Day

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

This past week has been filled with controversy raising topics from the death of Fred Phelps to the “My Little Pony” backpack.  Grayson Bruce, a nine year old attending Candler Elementary school, was told to leave his Rainbow Dash backpack at home because it was making him an easy target for bullies.  

bilerico.com

No sooner this order was given, the Internet exploded with controversy, anger, and confusion. Bruce was unaware of the outcome his backpack would bring and while wearing it, he endured physical and verbal assaults on a daily basis. As opposed to punishing the bullies for constantly attacking him, the principal chose to punish Bruce. However, the bullying took place way before he started bringing Rainbow Dash to school with him. If anything, the backpack just made it worse, which is a shame because the boy adores the show, claiming it isn’t girly at all.

In the past, “My Little Pony” was aimed towards girls, and if boys liked it, they were immediately teased for liking it. Now since the series has been rebooted, boys are watching the show alongside girls. Boys like Bruce, are buying action figures of Fluttershy and Apple Jack because they enjoy the show. They’re expressing themselves and Mrs. Bruce, his mother, understands that. What she doesn’t understand, along with people who are following this story, is that her son was punished for being himself as opposed to the bullies who were always ragging on him.

Since the incident, the nine year old has stopped taking “My Little Pony” items to school  and has been homeschooled; until three days ago.  With support from those who liked the Support for Grayson Facebook page and hash tagged #supportforgrayson, Candler Elementary is welcoming back the “My Little Pony” loving Bruce.

While this is all well and good, this story shows the flawed logic of our society. If we try to be ourselves, we are immediately bullied, and/or reprimanded to fit the norm. As children and even as we grow, we are taught two lessons that clash with each other: be yourself and go with the flow. So what are we to believe? If we be ourselves, we may be bullied and/or reprimanded. If we conform, we’ll be like everyone else. Bruce was taught by his mother to be himself. Even supporters on Facebook agreed that he should stand for what he likes, regardless of what anyone has to say about it.

I've always been taught to conform to the norm which frankly, I'm sick of doing. There is no normal because there's no clear definition for it other than going with the flow. But the flow constantly changes, so it's never the same. Besides, no one has the same life. Our lives are different, which aid in shaping us to being different and being ourselves. What may be an ideal situation for me, could be a disastrous occurrence for someone else.

Besides, I like to stand out anyway because I love who I am. I am a twenty three year old who enjoys playing video games, geeking out to pop culture, analyzing literature, and loving art. 

Fellow readers where do you stand? Do you like to stand out from the crowd and be yourself? Or do you like to be conservative and conform to the norm?

Happy Beer and Clover Day!

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

Today is St.Patrick’s day, a day of drinking, celebration, and having fun. As we drink to the Irish culture and follow through with the festivities, we often forget the meaning behind them, let alone the holiday.

St.Patrick’s Day celebrates the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick. Now here comes the shocking part: he wasn’t even Irish. Rather, he was born as a Roman Britain and kidnapped by means of slavery and brought to Ireland. For seventeen years he remained in Ireland until he escaped to a monastery in Gaul, France, and converted to Christianity. He later returned to Ireland in 432 as a missionary and abolished the Druids at Tara, eliminating their pagan rites, and making Christianity more widespread through Ireland. To also rid Ireland of its old pagan ways, St. Patrick drove the snakes out of the land. Serpents and snakes were often worshipped in paganism. By ridding Ireland of snakes, this was noted as a symbolic gesture of ending their pagan practice. He also baptized and converted many at his “Holy Wells” scattered throughout the land.

St.Patrick died in Ireland on March 17th, completing his mission, and leaving behind his two famous works: The Confessio (a spiritual autobiography) and Epistola (a denunciation of British cruelty towards Irish Christians). To this day, we celebrate his life and the Irish culture through the traditions of this particular holiday.

• We honor the three leaf clover (aka shamrock) because it’s what St.Patrick used to explain the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). At the end of St.Patrick’s Day, people “drown the shamrock” by placing the shamrock in a glass of whiskey and drinking it.

• Some people eat corned beef and cabbage, an Irish American dish. In the 19^th century, Irish immigrants were poor and could only afford this meal on St.Patrick’s Day.

• States all over America have St.Patrick’s Day parades. Originally, the holiday was celebrated as a religious day in Ireland, but as Ireland immigrants came over to America, they made it quite a celebratory event. New York held the first St.Patrick’s Day parade in 1762; by the 19^th century, the parades were a ritual.

• Some St.Patrick’s Day décor includes little mythical creatures called leprechauns. Leprechauns are a part of Irish folklore and come from the word ‘luchorpan’ which means ‘little bodies’.

What do you like to do for St.Patrick’s Day? Feel free to comment and reblog, and as always feedback and followers are welcomed.