Visitor Disillusioned by Island Meeting

Intrigued by the solitude and retreat-to-nature vibe of winter at the beach, long-time summer visitor Lori Smith was thrilled to book a 2-week vacation to Ocracoke in March. She hoped for warm sunshine, gentle breezes, and miles of empty beach to explore. But after several days of wind, rain, and overcast skies, Ms Smith said she was "over it" and decided to venture out to meet some of the hardy and hardworking islanders she had read about. "I thought it would be fun to meet people," she said. "Boy, was I wrong."

Ms Smith explained her introduction to Ocracoke behind-the-scenes.

"I saw a bunch of cars parked at big building and assumed I had happened on a gathering of friendly, down-to-earth island folk doing something quaint and quintessential like a square dance or quilting circle," she said. "Instead I walked into an angry sh**-storm of dysfunctional people that were behaving like 5 year-olds, if 5 year-olds could follow Robert's Rules of Order."

Ms Smith realized that she had stumbled upon a public meeting of some kind, and immediately saw the error of her ways. But not wanting to be rude, she stayed, thinking, "How long could this take? It's a small island – how much could they have to discuss?"

"Oh. My. God. Kill me now," she remembers thinking as the meeting dragged on. "That's an hour of my life I'll never get back." 

It was too much like home. "I thought I was getting away from the land of political gridlock," she lamented. "But these people were worse than Congress – and that's saying a lot!"

Ms. Smith mentioned that when she's on vacation, she's doesn't want to hear about taxes, trash, procedures, politics, money, management, rules or regulations. She just wants to have a good time. Ocracoke is supposed to be her special island paradise, and she doesn't want her fantasy of someday leaving the rat race, moving here, and living la pura vida on a sunny sandbar to be shattered by the harsh reality of meetings, motions, and minutes.

"Look, I come to the beach to escape!" she said. "Where are the happy island natives smiling and singing Kumbaya? I mean, seriously, how bad can it really be here? I was sitting in that meeting, thinking, are you kidding me? Is there anywhere on earth where people get along?"

Ms Smith did not want to disrupt the meeting by leaving, so stayed to the bitter, bitter, end. "Motion to adjourn, motion to adjourn, motion to adjourn," she chanted softly in an attempt to cast a spell over one of the more malleable board members.

"That trick usually works in D.C. congressional meetings," she said, "But I guess I'm dealing with semi-reasonable people there." 

Ms. Smith wonders how the islanders do it.

"Since my experience at that meeting, I've asked around and discovered that Ocracoke has over 30 volunteer boards and committees! So many people throwing their weight around! Who puts themselves through this willingly? Doesn't anyone here have a job?" she asked, still reeling from the shock.

Ms. Smith added that she hoped the weather got warmer and the season picked up soon so that these god-awful people had something better to do with their time. 

Recent Ocracoke transplant Nick Anthony comforted Ms. Smith, saying, "I know how you feel. I up and moved here thinking I was simplifying my life, and now I'm on six boards and go to several meetings a week. I hardly ever get to the beach. Stay in D.C., honey, stay in D.C."