Text and Photography by Matt Richardson
On being a dad in the right place at the right time.
wo and a half years ago, I experienced a life-changing event. I became a father and things haven’t been the same since! From sleepless nights and new-daddy discoveries to watching my son find mobility and explore his world, fatherhood has been one daily adventure after another. One thing I have realized is that there is no other place on earth I would rather be a dad than right here on the banks of the May River in good old Bluffton.
My wife and I moved here nearly a decade ago when career paths converged on the Lowcountry. Bluffton was ideally situated for my new job and for my wife’s continuing education at USC. As life unfolded and we grew into a family, we began to realize just how fortunate we were to have relocated to such a promising community.
Like most dads, I love the outdoors. Bluffton is perched on the edge of the sea and is the very gateway into the wilds of the South Carolina Lowcountry. For years I have enjoyed boating, kayaking, hiking and all sorts of outside activities. When fatherhood arrived, many friends jokingly said that those days were now over and that the domestic calling of being a dad would keep me homebound with responsibility. As I fended off ridiculously low offers from them to buy my old Boston Whaler I realized how wrong they were. I believe the outdoors are best experienced with those you love and being a father meant an opportunity to share the benefits of Bluffton’s outdoors with my family.
The May River is perfectly suited to experience life as a dad. Boat rides, kayak trips, fishing and crabbing off the town dock and, of course, the sandbar beckons in the summertime sun. Some of my son’s earliest memories will be riding in the boat cradled in his mom’s arms as we putter up the May River to the sandbar or to watch the dolphins. He has even enjoyed sitting in my lap in his little life jacket as I paddle my kayak over from the Bluffton Oyster Company beach to romp around on the wide sandbar across the way. I am convinced that as he grows, my son will become familiar with the joys of the May River and the gifts that it will provide him in experience, fishing and good old-fashioned fun.
A short drive down the road leads to numerous wildlife refuges and preserves that are awaiting discovery too. From the trackless wilds of the ACE Basin to nearby Pinckney Island and the Savannah National Wildlife refuges a child can get up close and personal with nature. Great flocks of shorebirds, ducks and migrating songbirds can be seen on short-notice and the ever-present alligator never fails to capture the imagination of parent and child alike.
Bluffton’s closeness to Hilton Head Island, Beaufort, Savannah and Charleston open other doors for fatherhood fun. Savannah’s Oatland Island Wildlife Center is one of his favorite places and we recently experienced Civil War re-enactors at Fort Pulaski. “Cannon go ‘boom’, daddy!” was the new phrase of that enjoyable day. Charleston’s Aquarium and picnics on the Battery in the old part of town are fun too. We regularly hit the beach on Hilton Head Island and Beaufort’s waterfront park is a neat place to go. They give lots of room for little legs to run and are easy on the wallet too. A short drive from home can open a wide new window on the world.
Bluffton is more than the river, and there are other opportunities for a dad to be a dad. The town has planned and built several parks that serve the community well. My son loves the swings at the playground in Oscar Frazier Park and is even now, at two and a half, learning to navigate the slides walkways. Quiet streets and wide bike paths make bicycling across town an afternoon adventure and provide an inexpensive, active way to spend time together. There are few feelings happier than the sensation of his little feet tapping my back as I pedal along or his laugh as I catch him at the foot of the slide.
As he grows up, my son will experience the benefits of going to school here in Bluffton. From Bluffton, M.C. Riley, Okatie Elementary, to the Montessori, Church of the Cross and St. Gregory’s, he will not lack good places to continue the education we have begun at home.
As I think about school for him, I realize that this is much more than new facilities and child-focused education, it is about the people in our community. Being a father in Bluffton means I have grown to love and trust so many good people here in this town. Teachers, doctors, pastors, businesspeople and friends all abide here and are a big part of my child’s life. From friends who drop by the house on a Saturday evening to smiling faces in the sandbar sunshine, Bluffton is home to many, many good people. Regular festivals close down Calhoun Street and open hearts as our community merges business and pleasure on a weekend afternoon. My son loves the Christmas Parade with a passion and looks forward to each new event that comes along. Every year we visit the daffodil farm in Pinckney Colony and enjoy picking the new blooms and enjoying good company. As a dad, I am amazed at the people from whom he will learn some of the finer things in life. Charities such as Family Promise, Angel Food, Bluffton Self-Help and so many others are wide open and working. He will not have to go far to see the giving and goodness of others in action.
As I enjoy fatherhood here in Bluffton it is easy to see that this place is the last town in the world that I will expect to hear the phrase “I’m bored, there’s nothing to do.” In our community there is always something and always someone to experience it with.
Speaking of experiences . . . next month I am becoming a dad again! My wife and I are expecting our second child and we can think of no better place to provide an introduction to the world that right here in the little town on the banks of the beautiful May River.
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