The elders still share tales of simpler times: fishing with basic gear and hardworking hands, reading storms in the sky's shifting colors, and how this small harbor served as the true center of work, laughter, and neighborly support.
This year, our principal at Susan B. English School, Diane Maples, gave the junior high and high school students an exciting challenge: build a solid business plan and pitch it Shark Tank-style to a panel of local business leaders.
The kids had to think through everything, from the core idea to marketing, budgeting, and teaming up with each other or other businesses in town, while focusing on what our community and visitors really need. It all had to stay true to Seldovia's soul: our traditions, our people, the stunning natural beauty around us, and a deep respect for our history and culture.
I was genuinely honored (and a tad nervous) when they asked me to join the "sharks." Out of the 11 presentations, almost every one centered on serving tourists in creative ways: kayak rentals and guided paddles, dirtbike and 4-wheeler adventures, pop-up businesses that boosted other local spots, food services, travel apps, even gaming rooms! The energy was incredible, these young people dreaming up ways to welcome visitors while keeping things authentic and sustainable.
But two of the pitches stood out to me especially: water-based tours and fishing trips where the guides would share Seldovia's real stories right here on our bay, whether folks were casting lines or just cruising and taking in the views.
Hearing these students light up about passing on their family histories and traditions to outsiders? That hit home. It showed how much they treasure their roots and want to share them.
Those stories usually surface in the quiet moments: over morning coffee, while mending nets, or on long winter evenings when the wind howls outside and the house lights glow warm.
Kids listen wide-eyed to accounts of daring crossings in choppy seas, epic seasons when the fish were thick, or neighbors banding together through tough storms and lean times. The lessons come naturally: respect the ocean, watch the weather, look out for one another.
Each year brings new threads to the tapestry, a child's first catch, a family's boat christening, a rescue in rough water. Those become tomorrow's stories, woven seamlessly into the ones that came before.
The harbor doesn't just shelter boats; it holds our history, our character, and the connections that keep us tied together.
In Seldovia, stories don't fade. They echo in voices young and old, memories, and the steady rhythm of water against the docks, reminding us who we've been, who we are, and who we're becoming.
