Monthly Columnists

Here at Monthly, we’re feeling grateful this month that the Lowcountry escaped the wrath of Hurricane Florence — and sad for our neighbors to the north who were not as lucky. We encourage you to donate to the recovery efforts through reputable charities such as the American Red Cross and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. We hope we will never again need their disaster relief services here, but it could have been us. 

For my high school graduation paper, I wrote about the future of mankind. Freshly influenced by the essay “Brave New World Revisited” by Aldous Huxley, the thesis of my essay was that mankind was not meant to work in order to enjoy life — a believe that many

18-year-olds maintain today — but that we would instead invent machines to take over repetitive tasks and craft “smart apes” that would tackle more nuanced tasks, like gardening.

Dear Reader,

How do you know it’s September in the Lowcountry? The number of vacationers drops precipitously, there’s almost always a breeze at the beach, and Monthly brings you our annual City Guide. A September tradition here at Frey Media, the City Guide offers a chance to take stock of who we are as a community — including the places we love and the neighbors who make the Lowcountry thrive.

WHO IS TO BLAME FOR PUBLIC HEALTH CRISES?

Smoking kills. It’s a slogan we’ve heard a thousand times over, thanks to public health initiatives and staunch anti-smoking ad campaigns, court-ordained and paid for by the tobacco industry itself. If you’ve opened a newspaper lately (who does that anymore?) you’ll find stark, full-page ads that say cigarettes claim 1,200 Americans a day. And the warnings are getting dire thanks to a court ruling following a decade-long lawsuit, USA v. Philip Morris USA.

Dear Reader,
Every year, our August issue is one of our favorites because the stories in it are about pure and boundless types of love—the best part of the decidedly mixed bag called human nature. Our love for our pets, the rewards and challenges of caring for the elderly, and the daily efforts of both parents and teachers in the long march to educate children prove that, as a species, we’re hard-wired for goodness.

In July, the Lowcountry rolls out the red carpet for the thousands of visitors who flock here — mostly for a week at a time. Many Beaufort County residents work hard to make sure these visitors have a wonderful time — about 30 percent of Beaufort County jobs are directly related to tourism. Despite some traffic headaches, we’re grateful that so many families want to spend their free time and vacation dollars here.

Not a week goes by that I’m not asked the question, “How can we lead these millennials?”

I am to the point now that I generally just laugh at first and then quickly answer, “You lead them like you lead others.”

That usually gets me a blank stare and then some form of a follow-up question that usually starts with, “But…”

A FORCE FOR CHANGE

As drivers buzzed by her group of cyclists making their way from Charleston to Savannah, Betsy La Force realized just how important her job was.

The gang of environmentalists and city planners— participating in a New Urbanism professional seminar in Charleston — experienced firsthand during the grueling 130-mile ride how ill-equipped the Lowcountry is to handle traffic of all varieties.

If you believe the hype of commercials, movies, songs, TV shows, and traditional and social media, you could easily be fooled into believing that we are generally a happy and connected society.

That is, until you look at the facts and realize that chronic loneliness is a widespread epidemic with many negative ramifications.

WHAT YOUR DAD REALLY WANTS IS TO SPEND THE DAY WITH HIS CHILDREN

In June, Lowcountry residents realize just how good we’ve got it as visitors from all over the country and many corners of the world arrive to revel in what we sometimes take for granted: wide, clean beaches; rolling waves; and days filled with golden sunshine.

Father’s Day is June 17, and it’s a great day to get outside and “play tourist.” Whether your dad prefers golfing, fishing or fine dining, studies show that people treasure gifts of experiences. In addition to something from our Father’s Day Gift Guide, we bet that what your dad really wants is to spend the day with his children, doing something the whole family will enjoy.

May in the Lowcountry is heaven — warm and green, with nature in full bloom. It brings out the best in us on Hilton Head Island and in Bluffton as we head outside to enjoy this beautiful time of year through festivals, bike rides and walks on the beach.

A NEW PARADIGM SHIFT IS ABOUT TO ERODE THE LAST BASTIONS OF PRIVACY AND FUNDAMENTALLY RE-MAP OUR IDEA OF WHO WE ARE AS HUMANS.

George Orwell’s novel “1984” envisioned a totalitarian system that controlled people’s minds—a terrifying proposition when I read the book as a high school graduate, but it pales compared to what might be possible in the near future.