Mansquan Inlet Fisherman Memorial
The Fisherman's Memorial in Point Pleasant Beach
Along the Manasquan River in Point Pleasant NJ there is a small park that is right at the edge of the water. In the park is a statue of a mariner with a lamp held at the end of an outstretched arm. The pose is indicative of someone searching, trying to find their way.
The mariner stands on a pile of rocks and this entire scene is surrounded by a small wooden fence. Along the edge of the fence railing is a series of plaques. Each represents a local boat that has been lost at sea. The statue and the entire park is a memorial to those that left in their boats one day, never to return.
The plaques each state the name of a boat, the date she was lost at sea and a list of people who lost their lives. It is sobering to think about that there are plenty of jobs that many of us have probably not even thought about very much. The danger, and possibility that you may not return home from work at the end of the day or job. The life of a marine fisherman is so different from my own. I am definitely not in much danger here as I sit and type at my desk. Now I am just working on a blog post but much of my work involves doing just what I am doing now, and in a similar pretty safe environment. Perhaps I should pause and think about some of the hardships I think I sometimes face at work. Running out of coffee. The copier going down. My seeming work day troubles are a drop in the bucket when I think about that memorial in Point Pleasant.