To Be Frank: Stop squawking about Snowbirds

To be frank, I’m not the biggest fan of winter or tourists for that matter, but somehow the odd combination of the two warms my heart. Whilst speaking of snowbirds, I want to be clear— I am not talking about the dark-eyed junco and its migration from Canada. We can certainly all agree that this particular species of bird that tends to migrate from the northern tundra to our warm and beautiful South Carolina coast following the winter solstice is a benign entity to our shores. However, what we may come to dispute after careful deliberation is the vernacular meaning of snowbird – the so-called migration of humans north of the Mason-Dixon Line to the warmer regions of our beloved Eastern Seaboard.

Let us consider, for at least a moment, the benefits of said northern dwellers and their temporary residence on our fair isle. For one, the bleak and dreary winter months are somewhat unoccupied, desolate, if you will, on our island. The presence of human snowbirds brings not only much appreciated and needed commerce to our municipality, but also an opportunity for locals to demonstrate true, Southern hospitality. It is an opportune time to show our mutual disdain for the honking of horns, for example. It is also a wonderful opportunity to allow others to proceed ahead of us in line at our local grocery stores and the like. There are many ways to show Southern charm during the winter, “snowbird” days, one merely needs to take a gander into their heart and it becomes easy, nearly effortless, if you will, to extend a bit of grace to our northern visitors.

So, dear readers, before we complain, protest, grumble, make a fuss about our northern friends and their propensity to relocate during the darkest and coldest weeks of the year, let us consider how fortunate we are to reside on this island year-round. We are privileged to live on one of the cleanest beaches in all of South Carolina; let us not forget to take care of not only the physical needs of our island, but also the wonderful, spiritual aspects we might sometimes be inclined to take for granted. In short, don’t squawk at the snowbirds – neither avian nor human, as the case may be.