There’s nothing to do
I remember during the dog days of summer when my children would come to me and complain, “There’s nothing to do!”
“What do you mean, there’s nothing to do,” I would reply. “You have friends down the street. You have a yard. You have a dog. Go outside and play!”
If their whining persisted, I’d throw my hands up and say in my most guilt-inducing, Jewish mother voice (which I do well, I AM a Jewish mother), “What am I, the entertainment committee?”
Not to mention my kids really didn’t have time to be bored. They participated in after-school activities and recreational sports. There were years of Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, dance, gymnastics, football, baseball, wrestling, soccer, art lessons, voice lessons, guitar lessons, religious school and worship services, community theater… The list goes on. Believe me, our family stayed busy. My husband and I juggled work schedules and volunteer commitments to chauffeur our children to their various school and extra-curricular activities. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. They are kind, productive and engaged adults today.
I hear the same complaint, “There’s nothing to do,” from adults here.
They’ve make comments like: “We don’t have a mall.” “We don’t have a water park.” “We don’t have a bowling alley.” “There’s nothing for kids to do here, except sports.”
Okay, we don’t have a mall, water park or bowling alley in Hinesville. Wait a while. It may come.
I would be remiss if I don’t mention that there is a bowling alley, a movie theater, PX, gym, outdoor recreation and a myriad of other activities and programs offered on post to active duty members, retirees and their families. Fort Stewart recently treated the community-at-large to a free concert and fireworks on July 4th. Check out the Frontline or MWR website. Again, there’s plenty to do.
When my husband moved with his family to Hinesville in the mid-1970s there wasn’t much for teens to do off-post, except hang out at a locally-owned ice cream stand.
Liberty County grew leaps and bounds in the 1980s and ’90s. There have been lulls since then, but the economy is picking up again. There are restaurants and stores up and down Highways 84 and 196 that weren’t there 25-30 years ago. There’s a movie theater in town now.
What is needed, in my opinion, is more industry. That would strengthen the tax base and take some of the burden off property owners.
Still bored? Our county recreation departments and YMCA offer numerous programs. Want to further your education? We have campuses for Savannah Technical College and Georgia Southern University. Love books? There’s two public library locations, one in Hinesville and the other in Midway. Looking for a spiritual home? We have a multitude of churches across Liberty and Long counties. We have civic organizations, veterans’ organizations and many other groups needing volunteers to help with community outreach. We have beautiful state parks and historic sites to explore. We’re not far from Savannah or the beaches at Tybee and Jekyll Island. Art lovers can check out the arts council and local galleries. Business minded? We have two chambers of commerce, a convention and visitors’ bureau, a downtown merchants association and a downtown development authority.
If you’re interested in politics, attend a city council or county commission meeting. You never know what will happen.
We, at the Courier, try to keep you informed about when and where these activities are being held, through our calendars, briefs, ads and stories posted online or published in our print products.
So, don’t tell me there’s nothing to do. Go and outside and play!