| Tweet |
Former NBA basketball player Charles Barkley wrote an autobiography a few years ago. He objected to a question a reporter asked about something he had written in the book by saying to the reporter, “I was misquoted!”
The title of this article is of my choosing, but it stands to be true and untrue at the same time. I too was misquoted.
For many visitors, Hilton Head Island is accurately described as a great place. For those of us who have made it our home from birth or after visiting here, Hilton Head Island is not a “place.” It is our home.
While I take pride in the houses I build, I know there is a big difference between a house (a place) and a home. A house is, in its most basic definition, a structure. A house becomes a home when families are raised, schools attended, and the trials and tribulations of life are experienced. The beauty of Hilton Head is that it is a great place and home at the same time.
The island is a great place because we have beaches, golf courses, waterways, restaurants and tennis facilities, to name a few. These amenities represent some of the things we considered in making this “place” our home. But over the years, I have noticed people don’t just want a place to live, they want to be part of the community.
Hilton Head Island could be a place where residents do their own thing, limit their involvement to their own selfish endeavors, and care less about improving the quality of life for all. In fact, in few places could this be easier than here. Residents could play golf or tennis, go to the beach, kayak, or restrict their social time to, for example, their country clubs. They could simply live on Hilton Head Island as a “place” while taking part in these activities rather than making it a community. What makes our island a great home and a community is the fact that residents choose to be involved in the support, care and quality of life for all residents. If you tallied the number of nonprofit organizations, foundations, theater and arts groups, religious institutions, and individuals that selflessly work to improve the quality of life of others, it would be staggering given our population. People here care. Foundations award educational scholarships; Deep Well and the Bargain Box support those in need; and a church volunteer teaches someone a skill. The list goes on and on.
To me, it is not the obvious things that make our island a great place. It is strength and passion of residents who make this place a great home.
