If someone were to ask me what I have most enjoyed about my summer here in Marblehead, they would probably expect me to talk about the beaches or the restaurants or the shopping.
What they would not expect me to mention is the croquet. But, and this is surprising to me too, it was.
The neighborhood that I lived in hosts a croquet tournament every year over Labor Day weekend. Yes, this is a multi-day game.
There are a couple of rules that have to be followed before even being allowed to play. First, you must sleep in the neighborhood that Friday night — no, they do not do bed checks. You also must be 10 years old or older to play. This was a big deal, as little brothers and sisters watched their siblings play their first game this year.
On Saturday, you walk down to the lawn that abuts many of the neighborhood houses to find out who your partner is and mingle with the other residents. If you win on Saturday, you get to move on to the finals on Sunday.
Did I move on to the finals? No, I was beaten in less than 30 minutes by a 10-year-old who was playing his first game. Granted, it was my first game too, but having grown up in this neighborhood and serving witness to games his whole life, I would like to think he might have picked up some skills.
This game runs through the blood of the neighborhood, and this year marked the 46th annual edition. Tables were lined with photo albums dedicated to the tournament.
Grandparents who were watching their grandchildren play for the first time could be seen in the albums, teaching their children, who could have been the same age the grandchildren are now, how to play.
The photos reflected the same excitement and energy I was seeing while sitting on the sidelines. While flipping through, people would chime in and explain what was happening on that day or how some of the much younger kids photographed have moved away or gone to college.
Now, while observing them, they looked on and took it all in. The excitement, the camaraderie, the spirit of having almost a milestone to have the neighborhood gather and see the growth of its families.
It was a time of firsts and lasts. As in, this will be the last time I try my hand at sports.
Croquet was not the only exciting thing I experienced that weekend, though. A 5-year-old learned how to ride a bike without training wheels for the first time and proceeded to zoom by the game for hours while we cheered her on.
I think this is what made it my favorite part of my four-month rendezvous here. Although I am a sucker for a good tradition, the togetherness and spirit of the neighborhood really reflected all of the best of Marblehead.
For a girl from Shrewsbury, who five months ago could not point to Marblehead on a map, I have found a community and a home here.
I started as a Lynn reporter for The Daily Item in May on the last day of my junior year at Framingham State University. From there, I quickly moved to The Marblehead Weekly News, which I produced largely by myself for a good month before becoming news editor for all of Essex Media Group’s publications. Somewhere in between, I moved to Marblehead, because the hour-and-a-half drive between here and Shrewsbury was not ideal, to say the least.
I found my second home on Cloutmans Lane and a lifelong connection to Marblehead.
It was a busy summer, but as I head into my senior year at FSU and reflect on it, I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
Thank you for having me, Marblehead!
