(CNN) -- "It's like all our memories are gone." That's what my brother said when he called to talk about the devastation Superstorm Sandy wreaked on the Jersey Shore, the summer playground of our youth. With those words I realized that as concerned and sad as I was about the effect of the storm, I was also mourning for a place that harbored so many happy memories for me growing up that may never be the same. My brother still lives in the Northeast, but I have long since moved to Atlanta and married a woman from Siesta Key, Florida. For vacations, we venture out to exotic spots.
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David Vigilante: Jersey Shore, wrecked by Sandy, may never be the same
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Vigilante: The place harbors so many happy memories for me growing up
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He says unlike the MTV caricature, it has been a vacation spot for many
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Vigilante: The shore is more than a beach; it's a connection that binds generations
It is now my 9-year-old son's favorite T-shirt and his special connection to the @placeholder.