It's amazing to have come full circle on every point made on all sides, and still be able to pick up new and interesting perspectives. Sometimes I just think people lose touch with both themselves and their surroundings. I remember back as a kid, amongst the pineneedles in our new cottage, which had only a couple of inside walls completed. It was quiet at times, certainly not much to do in town. We went to the Weirs for excitement, which meant a really terrible garlicky pizza and the arcades, Kellerhouse and all sorts of goodies. Late on, it was the Weirs for dances and some music. But mostly boating, water skiing, and endless swimming and snorkeling. Since as kids we were there all week every week, it was pretty easy to see the obvious contrast, and for obvious reasons.
I learned to love to water ski on rough water, had no choice really, with the cruiser and other boat wakes. It was a blast. Daily rides through the Weirs Channel, mainly just to get to the other side. Sometimes Blasting through Paugus Bay at over 40 mph
We didn't do any rafting or sand bar stuff back then. Partially because we didn't have any swim platforms, and also there were no sand bars nearby. It just wasn't really in style anyway. As we got older, we could drive the boat at nights. Amazing how good you get at it when you do it every night all summer. During all this time, many new cottages went up, more traffic, harder and longer to get around. Still not much to do on the lake, I don't remember the Naswa being anything that grand way back.
But the boat traffic grew steadily as the years went by, and cruising around in smaller boats was quite a bit more painful than in days past. Although stiff winds every weekend sure make your dreams of owning a larger boat that much grander. There were quite a few loud boats, more of the earlier GF boats, tons of large wavemakers as I call them. Always chaos between Eagle and the Weirs, which spread down Meredith Bay after awhile. But to be on the water that much, not much to complain about.
Now my generation is in both pre-pre-retirement through early retirement ages. The Boomers are settling down a bit. Some are pretty grouchy
I always thought I'd be living on Winni full time, but alas, that never came to be. It's still a great place with a very special character all it's own. What's changed is a lot. Yes, of course any popular body of water is crowded nowadays, well many of them are at least. There's a different mix of people as well. Way back when we seemed to be a more forgiving lot, accepting the little trials and tribulations of lake life because of the fantastic advantages we had just being there. I'm sure we had Boneheads and arrogant people, but I was too busy having fun to let it bother me. (I do seem to remember telling my dad to Lighten Up on occasion.)
In society today, there seems to be an over abundance of selfish people, rude people, domineering people, that can't let anything go without getting all whiney. People fight about development, or lack thereof. Their form of boating is passive and others are aggressive. People's boats are either too small or too big, too loud or too fast, not good at the launch or uncaring about where they point their vessel. It's always something nowadays. I think most of us were a respectful lot (most of the time?) in younger days. but I don't remember all the backstabbing and attacking that has become sport. We went about our business and didn't tell people how to handle theirs. My daily commute would be wonderful if there were no trucks, no other cars, no whatever to get in my way. But life's a shared experience, unless you lock yourself in your cabin and hibernate. (I still get miffed having to wait in line for Sunday brunches anywhere
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But what a sad commentary that so many have become Grumpy Old Men (and women). I'm not a very spiritual or religious sort, but I wonder what it takes to spread cheer nowadays. Smiles and happiness used to spread like a virus, with only the most hapless malcontents unable to catch the disease. I just can't imagine living the next twenty or thirty years or more with such pent up frustration and hostility. With that much energy devoted towards being hostile toward one group or another, one can only imagine what group is next?