God's Waiting Room-another part

Well... here we are down in God's waiting room, however we're in a different part of the state and it seems to be a couple of steps farther down the ladder from the West coast.  The West coast is just waiting for the gates to open so they can all file in.  The middle of the state seems to have a bit more life in it.  The reason is probably because of the proximity to "The Mouse". 

We still have a feeling that everything is manufactured to be like somewhere else though.  As though no one can come up with anything new or creative.  For example: all the houses around here look alike.  I'm sure the colors of the houses around here came from some guy who thought "pastel" was the only way to go down here. 

The current place we are in is prime example of the lack of diversity in color.  You will see cream, pink, yellow and throw-up salmon, that's it....Everything is stucco (I get that....less bugs to contend with) and has goofy outside lights...all exactly the same. They even break the same way at the same time...(synchronized breakage?)

Of course there's a Homeowners Association here.  Every place has a HOA.  I'm not sure if it's to help or restrain the inmates...whoops, I mean residents.  The rules are strict and I'm sure there's a torture chamber somewhere on the property for those who break (or try to break) the rules. 

This place is gated, walled and guarded 24/7.  Again, I'm not sure if it's to keep us in or to keep the outsiders out.  I know one thing, it seems to give the residents a sense of ....exclusiveness? perhaps.  I think it's to keep "them" from coming in. 
Each lovely home has it's own little pool, complete with the cage around it.  It's sort of like being in the Zoo and we're the attractions.  I'm not so sure I like that...but then again?

The good thing about being here in the middle of "The Heart of Florida" is we've met some cool folks to hang out with. They're younger than we are, but we won't hold that against them...We find we have similar views and that's unusual for us.  Usually down here we're in the minority.  Although, it could be because they're Canadian and we seem to get along with them more than with our own countrymen at times.  It's not that we dislike our "ain" folk, but we seem to be on opposite ends of the spectrum with many of them, both politically and socially.  We like to be inclusive and we find that many don't want to include those who are "different"/

It's pretty much "white bread" around here and that's odd as well.  I like diversity and different points of view.  But then I'm a bit different too...

The traffic is pretty much the same as on the coast.  They're all terrible drivers and none of them know where they're going...

C'est la vie....

Snow Birds flocking to the warmth

So...here we are again in God's waiting room. This year however, we are in the middle of the state. I decided to shoot a dart at the map of Florida and see where it would land. Yep, right in the middle, or the "heart" as they are wont to say here , of Florida.  We've landed not too far from the Mouse, but have no intention of meandering over to Mouse Heaven....We might go to a show or something while we're here but not too many.

People here are different than the ones we encounter on either coast.  My ex-Florida buddy tells me I'm in the middle of "Redneck Heaven".  She's quite correct.  We see all sorts of "country" footsteps around here, from the Western garb stores to the gin mills touting their entertainment of country/western/down-home featured artists (?..that's debatable).

I see the huge billboards as I drive yelling at me to "See Jesus", "Be saved by the Lord", "Man is short lived, but with Jesus, life everlasting". I wonder how much they (whoever "they" might be) is paying for these billboards that seem to levitate from the ground as I go on my merry way?

On the back windows of trucks, I see all sorts of scripture statements explaining how life should be lived and never varied.  Yesterday I saw one window expressing love for all mankind, then on the bumper a rainbow peace symbol with a red slash across it.  I thought that was rather telling of the person behind the wheel...However, I could be prejudging...I don't think so though.

I see the gun racks on the back of the pick-up window, but I don't see the guns...That's odd to me...but then there's probably a law against riding around with a gun showing in your window....If there isn't a law about that, then there should be one.

I hear, "God bless" at every turn, and that's nice....but I wonder, is that the "nasty nice" talk I know so many folks in this area commonly indulge in?  If had folks say to me, "Now, aren't you the sweetest thang".  I  know what that really means...I was told by a longtime Texan when you hear that being said think, "Now, what a pain in the ass she is".  It's almost interchangeable.  It could be...

The driving over here is not better than on the coast. I thought, since the demographics over here show the area to be younger, then driving would be better, not so.  I think it's worse here....Everyone in this general area is from "somewhere else" and they all have the "wild eyed, crazed look" as they drive along.  For some reason they've forgotten all the rules of the road they knew when they were, "home".  You better be on you  best defensive driving mode down here or you'll die in a fiery crash...or be maimed by by someone who's just realized they missed their turn and now you're in their way...No problem though, they'll just squeeze you over and get in the lane where you were. Crazy.

It's interesting if you look at all the differences as a study in modern humanity...Although, if you do that, you may want to check out of this world and find another....

This age is tough....

We're at the age where picking up the newspaper is mandatory.  We need to see who's died... Also, we want to make sure our own names aren't in the Obit column....

We're not at home at the moment and we find ourselves in a quandary of  "what to do, what to do?".  We know the answer will unfold if we leave it alone, but the thrashing has started in our minds.  It's a tough age....

We have family and friends in all stages of life and death.  We are unable to get to them, and truth be told if we were at home, I'm not sure we'd be doing anything different than we are here in God's waiting room. It just makes us feel a bit helpless and that's where the problem lies.

All of life's adventures seem to be based in control over something or someone else.  We do things to give us a new perspective on our own lives, but we control all the activities to mold them into something we can handle. The problem is, life likes to throw in some punches we've not anticipated and we feel a bit violated.  We didn't anticipate this "punch of life" we were going along at our own pace and were thrown into a wall. We now have to step back, take stock on the wall, go around, cut through, something, we didn't want to do in  the first place.  It's a vicious bite to our neat and orderly existence. 

Doing the best we can doesn't cut it.   Someone will be hurt.  We don't want to hurt anyone, but the sad truth is if you push someone, they will have to react in some way or another. 

Someone is dying, we won't be able to attend to hold hands, hug, give strength.  It will be bad, for us and for them.  They need assistance, in the form of money, but it seems so heartless and somehow, cruel.  I will send a check for the family because they will need the money for daily expenses until they get on their feet.  Nothing will ever be the same for them but we can make things a bit easier for them and maybe that's what we're meant to do...I don't know.  

We don't send flowers anymore because it's a waste of money that the family needs at the time of the death.  Sure, the flowers are nice, but they don't put food on the table, or pay the mortgage.  It's a practical decision in my mind.  BUT I always fear that the recipient will think we're buying our way out of guilt....(which we are really).

Oh well, I guess I'll let things unfold as it comes.....