The Annual Migration of the Shoobies
As I was driving across the causeway from Ocean City to the New Jersey mainland, I watched the annual migration of the shoobies coming in the opposite direction. No, the shoobies are not migratory birds. And they are nowhere near as unusual as the elephants that make an annual trek to eat mangoes from their favorite tree – a trip that takes them through the lobby of the Mfuwe Lodge in Zambia. Shoobies are two legged mammals of the human variety who travel primarily by automobile to the New Jersey shore in search of the ocean, boardwalk, amusements, and other entertainment and relaxation. Along the way, they tend to stop at one of the many roadside farm market stands to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables. No Jersey shore vacation is complete without fresh Jersey corn, tomatoes, strawberries, or blueberries.
As the story goes, the term shoebie comes from years past when people brought everything they needed to take to the beach in a shoe box. For all I know, there was only one such sighting and the term has become more legend than fact.
As I continued my drive home, I thought about the circle of life as it unfolds at the Jersey shore. As a youngster, life begins in Ocean City, which is known as a family-oriented town. There is plenty for the kids to do, and it is a dry town which keeps out the rowdier bunch. Quite often, the shoobies vacation together with three or four generations. But as the kids grow into their late teens and early twenties, they fly the coop from time to time to sow some wild oats in Wildwood or Avalon where watering holes are found in great abundance. It is in these towns that the females of this mammalian species may be seen showing off their mammary glands in the hopes of attracting a mate.
Once they have attracted a mate, they may briefly depart the Jersey shore to experience the tropics in Hawaii, but after having that honeymoon baby they return back with their children to Ocean City, New Jersey – the family resort. At this point, the females use their mammary glands for feeding the young before they are ready to eat the fresh, healthy Jersey produce or the fresh but not quite as healthy Kohr Brothers frozen custard, Johnson’s caramel popcorn, and Mack and Manco’s pizza.
Once their kids fly the coop, they may choose to retire to either Ventnor or Margate, yet two other Jersey shore towns known that are quieter, less filled with tourists and ideal for the more mature crowd. And some who are fortunate enough will migrate like the birds to Florida for the winter and back to the Jersey shore for the summer.
