Before Gwen and I moved to Klipsan Beach in 1999, I submitted a guest column to Observer Publisher and Editor Matt Winters – gushing about how eager we were to relocate here and what made this place so attractive to us. I focused on the special people, natural attractions, and history, plus more subtle features of this marvelous strip of land.

Now, I’d like to share with you my current reasons for never leaving this special place. I can’t imagine relocating anywhere else – unless economic circumstances or the imminent threat of a tsunami force me to reconsider. This is where I intend to stay.

Why? It’s nice to live in an accessible, affordable place where a lot of people know who you are, greet you pleasantly, and connect to you. We didn’t have that in Portland, California, Illinois, or other more metropolitan places we’ve lived. We hardly knew anyone in our neighborhoods and simply went about out business – often in stressful, competitive environments.

Here, people accept you for who you are and don’t attach any special significance to your pedigree (I have a Ph.D., but seldom mention that to people I encounter), your wealth, or your fame. It’s a small-town kind of atmosphere that the late Norman Rockwell would have loved had he visited us. He’d say this place has a nice “feel” to it.

Our festivals, Loyalty Day ceremonies, the Fourth of July parade in Ocean Park, and other examples of Americana – now lost to Americans who live in other places – remind me what made this country so special.

I appreciate the intense patriotism so many locals display, their willingness to volunteer to help others, and the importance they attach to health and education. What opportunities we share!

Think about it. Persistent economic challenges force us to be resourceful and to come together to solve our problems about schools, crime, jobs, education, health, and other issues. We’re forced to become entrepreneurial.

So I’m impressed by the “pitching in” I’ve witnessed since 1999. Where else do so many citizens, churches, and business and civic groups gather to clean up the beaches, bolster the high school band program, support the Humane Society, contribute money to victims of crippling diseases, help Grays Harbor College raise money for a much-needed educational facility in Ilwaco, and contribute food and money to Food Banks, plus much more?

There’s a very special kind of “we’re in this together” mentality here that I have never witnessed anywhere else I’ve lived – and that’s wonderful!

But wait – there’s more. I’ve never lived in any place where people seemed so animal-friendly. I can park my van just about anywhere and observe many critters in cars and trucks, patiently awaiting their custodians return. I like that. My terminally cute dog Skippy can “connect” to other critters in other vehicles.

When I lived in Portland, the Bay area, and other more metropolitan areas, I usually started my day with a “me-focus.” I made coffee, picked up the newspaper, turned on the radio, shaved, and did other things that were always centered on “me.” But since moving to Klipsan Beach, my lifestyle has changed.

Now, when I wake up, I follow kitties Rudy and Oscar to the food dish (usually 80 percent full), take my wire fox terrier Skippy outside, feed the ducks in the backyard, and then – pick up the newspaper, turn on the radio, make coffee, and shave.

See the difference? It’s a nice change of perspective. I’ve become more animal-centered and the whole world no longer revolves around me. And when the baby ducks recently appeared in my backyard, I got up at 5:30 to feed them carefully, making sure the crows and blue herons don’t bother them. That shift in attitude and behavior has made a world of difference to me.

Of course, there are the usual problems associated with living here – occasional congestion during festivals and clamming events, meth labs, school issues, and the usual problems associated with any community.

But all things considered, most of us who live here have it good. And that ain’t bad.

I’m looking forward to the world’s longest garage sale, enjoying the beach, watching deer, blue herons, and other critters in my backyard, some warm summer days with gentle breezes, our fabulous festivals, the Discovery Trail, the Lewis and Clark celebration, and other treats not always readily available elsewhere Why would I want to live anywhere else?

Reach Observer columnist Robert Brake at oobear@centurytel.net