Vacation Observations

It's sure nice to see some evidence of springtime in our part of the country. Even though we are the hometown of Al Gore, global warming hasn't had much effect and it's been a long winter. We spent a week in Florida a couple of weeks ago. Folks there told us it had been the coldest winter in Florida in 83 years. Apparently Al is still upset with them about the 2000 election and hasn't sent any warming their way either.

Florida is a little different from the rest of the country, weather aside. I like to visit, but I'm not sure I'd want to be a permanent resident. A friend of mine in the freight business told me once that Florida is an "inbound" state. They get a lot of freight in, but not much comes out. That's because they don't really make anything in Florida except oranges. Of course, nowadays, we don't make much of anything in the rest of the country either. Maybe they were just ahead of their time.

At any rate, here are a few observations from our trip to Marco Island:

Shorts and Jackets - This is one of those things that just doesn't make sense to me. Why does the upper part of your body need two layers of clothing, while the lower part is bare? Seems to me if it's cold enough to need a jacket, you probably need long pants on. Call me crazy.

Traffic Lights - Florida has to have the longest traffic lights in the world. It takes forever for a light to change. Darlene says it's because it takes old people longer to cross the street, so they have to make the lights longer to accomodate them. Lord knows there's no shortage of senior citizens in Florida. It's the only place I can go and feel younger. Hey, maybe there really is a Fountain of Youth in Florida!

Men Walking Little Dogs - There's just something about a grown man walking a little lap dog.........How does that happen? What could possibly go wrong in a man's life that would make him willing to do that? You might as well turn in you "Man Card" because all credibility is lost. It's sad, I tell you.

Cell Phones and Exercise - Here's a suggestion...if you're going for a morning walk, leave your cell phone at home. Darlene and I like to walk in the mornings, as do a lot of others. While we were there, I had the good fortune to hear all about one guy's prostate exam results as he and his wife walked behind us. Apparently he was talking to his daughter back home and wanted to give her every detail. Call her when you get back, for Heaven's sake! Besides, you never want someone behind you talking about a prostate exam. Tends to make a fella nervous.

Think About the Rest of Us - I know that spring break plus Florida equals kids, and I have no problem with that. I just ask one favor - give some thought to the rest of us. The hotel we stayed in had a coffee shop on the first floor. They had pastries, cereal, etc., plus all the coffee options. I walked in one morning to a line of about 10 people. The young woman at the front of the line was trying to coax her daughter of about three to "tell the lady what you want." After having her do that about 3 or 4 times, the lady behind the counter finally figured out what she wanted. Well, here's a tip, lady. The rest of us just want a cup of coffee. We don't care that little Cameron finally uttered something that sounded remotely like "yogurt". And we don't think it's cute, no matter how much you look at us and smile. We just want coffee. Save your teachable moments for sometime other than 8 a.m. in a coffee shop.

I'm certain God puts these people in my path to teach me patience and tolerance. And He probably puts me in their path for the same reason. Well, at least He's using me for something!

Till next time..........