Some would say I had it all backward during and immediately after Superstorm Sandy; I was practically worried more about the fate of Long Beach Island and my dad’s summer house in Surf City than I was about my own home up in Union County. I’m quite sure I’m not the only one who felt, and still feels, this way. And while part of me remains a bit guilty about it, I also think this feeling is somewhat justified.

I’ve been a fan of this island and practically everything about it since the summer of ’69, when I first experienced it…