Richard’s Almanac: Let’s all be nice to those summer visitors

“This Coke needs a little bit more syrup,” the customer said.

“If you don’t like it, don’t drink it and get the hell out of here,” the soda jerk said.

This bit of repartee did not happen recently here. Rather it occurred some time in the 1950s to a tourist visiting Shelter Island. It was told to me a few years later.

The Reporter’s editorial last week brought this to mind as we begin to get our influx of visitors here.

This is a resort community and has been since the 19th century when it was decided that bunker fishing was not the Island’s future — vacationers were. They built big houses and filled big hotels.

These summer folk provided livelihoods for most of the Island’s indigenous population. All these visitors and second homeowners needed food stores, restaurants, gift shops, saloons, in addition to the services of carpenters, plumbers, electricians, masons and landscapers. The list goes on.

So we need to be pleasant and inviting to our visitors. Perhaps if they get a good feeling, they’ll want to buy a second home here. The real estate people would like that. Our whole economy would like that.

But if visitors do not get friendly vibes, they’ll add the Island to their list of places never to visit again.

Nothing can turn people off more than a sullen shopkeeper, a snotty server or an insolent bartender. Granted, things can get a little crazy at the height of the very short season we have here. But it’s to everyone’s advantage to keep smiling.

I remember during my few stints as a bartender many years ago feeling that I was being treated like a servant by some customers. But I did my best to keep them happy and laughed all the way to the bank.

The whole summer economy can be very lucrative so let’s not dis’ it because of some types of visitors. I won’t go on about their accents or the way they dress. They are out here to visit and to spend.

They probably learned about the Island after visiting the vineyards. And ferry service is so good these days, there’s never a discouraging long wait.

So let’s make the best of what we have. Let’s enjoy the very short summer season and our transient friends.

Meanwhile, summer can bring with it some very hot temperatures (although it’s hard to believe that it’s ever going to happen) which can have some deleterious effects on the elderly.

Dr. Nathanael Desire spoke at the Senior Center last Wednesday and stressed the need for those over 65 to carefully manage their fluid intake.

“As we age our ability to tell we’re thirsty is blunted,” he said, adding that we should avoid overheating because older bodies do not adjust to changes in temperature that well.

He explained that seniors should be very careful on the HHH (hazy, hot and humid) days. Heat stroke can occur when body temperature rises very rapidly.

“One can hit 106 degrees in 15 minutes,” he said, adding that heatstroke increases as we age.

According to Dr. Desire the signs of heatstroke include high temperature, rapid pulse, dizziness, and nausea.

He suggests wearing a hat outside, drink plenty of fluids and do walking exercise early in the morning or late in the afternoon. And avoid alcoholic beverages.

So just how much water should we drink each day? The old guideline of 8/8 which is eight glasses, eight ounces each can vary from one individual to the next. A newsletter called Medical News Today says “follow your thirst” which makes sense except for seniors whose thirst senses are blunted. They must be more aware of their water needs. Dr. Desire also noted that people on different medications may have different needs. Consult your health care provider.