Those of you outside of New Jersey must have heard from friends, family, or the news about the widespread flooding Hurricane Ida brought to the Garden State in early September. Those of you in New Jersey? Well, you likely experienced Ida’s gifts first hand.
If you know Marty, you likely have heard of “The Swamp.” While that nickname usually refers to the beloved tennis court next to the house, during the hurricane it was Ida who swamped Marty and Mary Ellen’s home—specifically, their basement. The upshot is that they lost their heater/hot water heater in the flooding.
FEMA and insurance companies, and the companies that replace and install these apparatuses, apparently were swamped too, so only this week have Marty and Mary Ellen gotten theirs replaced (it’s now installed upstairs) and can take a warm shower at home.
Resilience is one of Marty’s principles, one ingredient in his recipe for a happy and successful life. And resilient is what he and Mary Ellen have been through this ordeal. When he didn’t chose a cold shower at home, Marty used the facilities at Mountain View Golf Course—a twofer given how often Marty can be seen on the course working a new wrinkle into his golf game. His most recent wrinkle is adapting his baseball swing from his days in the Dodgers’ farm system to swinging the golf club. He insists that the ball goes farther and more accurately with this approach. And even when it doesn’t, the fun’s in the experimentation. And isn’t that what life is—one grand experiment and a test of resilience!
— Cathy Kreyche
