Mount Pleasant Magazine July/August 2018

36 www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.ILoveMountPleasant.com | www.BestOfMP.com feature By Perry the Pelican The Pelican Brief A Bird’s EyeViewof Mount Pleasant’s ShemCreek P elicans don’t read, of course, or have newspapers. … but that doesn’t mean we don’t talk about what’s going on. And what we’ve been talking about on Shem Creek lately, more than ever, is the fact that we can’t spray a bill-full of water without hitting a human being. I tell ya, the foot traffic is getting thick these days in Charleston County, and Mount Pleasant is more popular than ever. I can’t blame these folks; I love living here, too. But, in the old days, we used to only encounter people on land. Now they are everywhere – swimming around and using these long, flat boats to get from one restaurant to the next. Here’s a little bit of background about people versus pelicans: It isn’t always pretty. Look up the term “pelican” on Wikipedia, and you can see for yourself that pelicans and humans have always had a sort of rivalry. Why would a fabulous human like yourself – who can drive a snazzy car, make money and digest cheese efficiently – feel competitive with the likes of a shorebird, you ask? Simple: We catch more fish, and we honestly have better lives. Think about it this way. Remember that time you waited in a long line to get on a dinner cruise? Yeah, I flew right over your head. And then I took a well-timed dip in the cool water while you wiped your brow. And then I scored a French fry from a nearby dock while your blood sugar plummeted! But take heart: I can’t really eat Skittles or book a hotel room with air conditioning. So my suggestion is It’s summertime, and that means more time than ever on Mount Pleasant’s beloved Shem Creek. So when Perry the Pelican asked us if he could submit a feature about his experiences living on our iconic waterway, we said “of course.” Please enjoy the following essay, and remember to be kind to our feathered neighbors, no matter the time of year. -The Editors Photos by Thomas Runion.