Shark River (NJ) in the 1940’s

I will be 80 in July and when I was a young girl, would go to Shark River to swim and clam and catch crabs. I would enter the water and feel the muddy bottom with my feet and dig up some nice fresh clams. I would rinse two of them off and bang them together to open them up and eat them right there. Oh delicious! People would look at me and say “Ew, that’s disgusting!” They didn’t know what good is! Nowadays, you would not eat anything from Shark River. What a shame, but I am so glad to be this old and having had such wonderful experiences. I learned to swim in that river at 5 years of age. My parents took me there when they had a boat. It is one of my best memories of New Jersey besides the beautiful Atlantic Ocean – hanging onto a rope and being pulled by the undertow – Glub, club, club – I almost drowned hundreds of times. I now live in Colorado, but am so glad I lived in New Jersey when it was great. We had woods and played outside in nice fresh air and now, I had to move away 21 years ago because of all the pollution. I am glad that I am old and have some wonderful memories.