It’s amazing what a ride up Island can do for the soul.

The movie In the Heart of the Sea recently opened in theatres around the world. It is a maritime thriller based on the book of the same name, written by Nantucket resident Nathaniel Philbrick.

There were many who didn’t expect the Boston Globe Spotlight experiment to last more than a year, much less 45 years.

There was one special responsibility that I was always glad to fulfill and looked forward to each December. “Don’t forget to stop by the school nurse’s office and pick up the Red Stocking.”

There are a number of us cleaning up after others. Like a messy home that needs tending, we notice the garbage strewn along roads and shorelines.

Age does seem to matter and it has been on my mind. As you might now expect from me, let us first consider age from a shellfish perspective.