Roads While every evening I like to think of three things that made me happy that day…..and there are always so many more than three things…..
This week it is my 12 year old car that is thinking about three things that made it happy….Linden Avenue, Waterwitch Avenue and Bay Avenue in Highlands.
For the first time in more months than most of us can remember, all three county roads are smooth, beautiful looking, easy to travel, and so wonderful to ride!
It was the lack of bumpety bump noises that I noticed first….I thought something had happened to my engine. Then it was how smooth everything was…I thought the tires turned to skis. But in the end, it was just great efficient work by those doing the job for Monmouth County, getting it done, and finally opening the roads to once again traveling comfortably through the main streets of Highlands.
Everyone should stop into Highlands to feel how good the roads feel, to visit the shops and restaurants who have certainly been impacted by months of uncomfortable travel and difficult parking to access their businesses, and let them all know you haven’t forgotten them and are happy to be back on a more regular basis.
As for making me happy, there were several things besides the roads that made me happy in this recent trip to Highlands. Seeing the new gourmet grocer that had its official opening last Friday night is enough to make the most fastidious and creative cook happy. Seeing so many great things to eat and use in creative recipes right in the heart of the borough is one more sign Highlands is continuing to grow, to be interesting and to offer the unusual.
Stopping in the laundry, I learned a lesson from Sue, one of those hard-working women who keep the Highlands Laundry so clean and a fun place to go, even if it is to do laundry. When a client wasn’t sure of the size washer she wanted it was Sue who led her to the most efficient, and not the most expensive choice. She was right and the customer was delighted. When another customer was a bit sharp, rude, and not very pleasant to her, it was Sue who shrugged it off saying, “you never know what kind of day the other person is having. You have to think about that instead of getting mad or answering back.”
Taking a walk through Veterans Park brought back memories of some former residents who have made differences in Highlands, contributed towards it and truly loved the borough. Stop in one of these sunny days and think about the names and families memorialized on the benches that allow for enjoyment of a beautiful setting. There are veterans and politicians alike, families and individuals who are all still a part of the town’s happy memories.
Best of all, seeing how Highlands is working so well together and doing so much to help the folks in North Carolina devastated by the hurricanes, is a reminder that this has always been a town where neighbor helps neighbor and the stranger in the laundry or bar or coffeeshop becomes an instant friend,
All this and smooth roads too!
