As I went through the readings for this column and had some quiet time I kept thinking about the sea and waves and storms.

I grew up in a rough neighborhood in Brooklyn. My saving grace was to be surrounded by water. The docks were two blocks away, and I could go down and watch the ships, the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan. We used to swim and fish next to the cargo ships. We loved taking the D train to Coney Island for the day, with their rattan seats and ceiling fans. I would go fishing with my grandfather. He was Raphael Santiago from Malaga, Spain. His dad owned a sardine fleet, which the Spanish Navy took to make gunboats. They soon emigrated to America.

As a kid I would go clamming with........

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