American Creed

Of Community and Family

Introduction

The American Creed are the words that define our nation and what it stands for. Not only this but it forms a set of principles that can be specific to every citizen of the United States of America. An understanding like this can come from the close connection of family members or a tight knit community who work together. My family and Community display our American creed with our ability to depend on each other and have a love for our home and area that will never diminish.

Boca Grande

I was born and raised on a small island off the west coast of Florida named Gasparilla, better known as Boca Grande. Although it is a small town, with few full time residents, it is a community proud of their home and always willing to do what is best for the wellbeing of the area. The main industry that sustains Boca is its pass and the fish that travel there in order to spawn. Tarpon are a large game fish that come to Gasparilla Pass to feed and eventually move offshore to release their fertilized eggs to repopulate. Due to the fact that tarpon are a heavily sought after game fish, catch and release only, people travel from all over the map to battle with this great fish. Much of Boca Grande’s way of life is centered around its fisheries.

The Locke Family

My family began when Kelly Anne McCorkle and Walton Thomas Locke Junior met and decided to live the rest of their life together. They have now spent 27 years together and could not be happier. The center of their lives has been family and their four children, in which I am the youngest. My family chose to move to Gasparilla island three years before I was born. My father is a fishing guide who specializes in catching tarpon on a form light tackle called fly fishing. His passion for this way of life was passed to me and my entire family, thus creating a tight bond between us all and our already tight community. Not only did his love for his practice pass to us but also his love for his wife, which has taught us all exactly what it means to be a Locke.

Boca Grande’s American Creed

Boca Grande has always been a small town that could come together to fix any issues that come our way. This is why I believe that one of the biggest parts of our creed is that when we have a problem that needs to be addressed we decide our plan of action together. This can only be emphasized by the way we reacted to the difficult struggle that was red tide. When this horrid event struck Florida it hit Gasparilla island especially hard. This is mostly because the income and viability of our community is based on the fisheries and tourism of our beaches. Red tide created an entire summer of prime fishing season non-existent. Every family struggled through these times but it seemed we only got through them because everybody could work together to combat the issue. The guides of our area chose to support a non-profit organization called Captains for Clean Water. Their goal was to keep the waters of Florida’s coast from going into complete ruin, like they had for that summer. We were able to do this by creating videos, tv shows, and any other ways to get the message to the world that Florida’s waters were in dire need of help. For the fact that almost every person that based their livelihood out of Boca Grande was able to come together to help fight what was happening we were able to pass legislation that would never allow that intense of a red tide ever again. The small island of Gasparilla will always have their American Creed and will always choose to come together when a major issue must be faced.

The Locke’s American Creed

My family’s American Creed will always be the fact that our love will always bind us together. No matter what if we have differing opinions or are struggling with a difficult situation we will always be there for one another and be able to help show the right path when one of us is in need. This relates to a time in our lives that was very difficult. Five years ago my brother was in a terrible car accident, in which a drunk driver hit him after running a red light. For a period he was in critical condition and it was a very trying time in all of our lives. This was the first time our family did not feel complete. We were used to facing every issue together and with the love we all hold for each other. When even one member is in such poor condition it proved that it was at that time more than ever that our American Creed needed to stay intact. Eventually he did pull through and has now made a full recovery. His accident brought to light what it truly meant to work through a terrible scenario together and love each other even when it may seem difficult.

Conclusion

I have come to realize that an American Creed is not something that only pertains to how U.S. citizens should live but also how smaller communities and families should go on and work together. This is something that connects every person in our nation and shows what it means to be an American. No only that but the people have the right to create a lasting nation in which our future relies. The American Creed that is showcased in my family and community is how we have each others backs even when the times are hard and that with the love a family shares almost any obstacle can be overcome.