Moving to Florida | Part of my destiny

In 1964 I packed up my Ford Falcon with all my worldly goods and headed out on the highway. I was excited that my life was finally becoming what I had hoped it would be...at least for starters. I had been to Florida before. I knew what to expect. I was six years old the first time I went there. I had been 4 or 5 times after that. When I was a sophomore in high school I spent most of the summer there. When I graduated from high school, my sister and her family came for my graduation. They wanted me to go home with them at that time. My parents didn't agree; so I stayed home and went to work for the telephone company. I was planning my escape from the place that had nothing to offer me. Then I made the trek to California and came home and started again to make my way here. If you don't stick with your vision, you may well lose your way and forget what the future is to be. I didn't. It just took me a couple of years longer than I had hoped it would. I got back my job with the telephone company; and when I had been there long enough, I put in for a transfer. I knew it would be easy to get one because Orlando was growing and I was going to be part of that growth. The transfer came through and I was assured a job; I was off to take it.

I arrived in Florida the last week of June in 1964. I had ten days before I had to report to work. I don't know how to explain it; but at that time I felt that my whole life suddenly opened up before me. I was in a place where personal growth could finally begin to bloom in me. I was definitely what you would call a late bloomer. I still at times feel like I am late in blooming. The best part of that fact is you are never too old to bloom in life. Don't ever let anyone tell you it's too late to bloom in life. You can bloom until you draw your last breath in life. Our creator made you that way. Life in Florida for me was glorious. It was and still is a place of beauty and I thrive in a place of beauty. I don't know why it is so important to me to be in such a place. It just is.

I spent my first ten days going to the beach and just taking in the warm sun and the beauty of the waves and the endless horizon. I burned myself to a crisp. The last day before going to work I went to a family picnic and learned to water ski. I didn't do so well. They kidded me about not falling in the water because of the alligators. I took them to heart. Water skiing turned in to the survival of the fittest. I wasn't going down for anything! No gator was going to get me. I've never tried to water ski since that day.

My first year here was one of discovery. I learned new ways of living...the southern way. I relished it. I wanted to do everything and see everything. I became fully indoctrinated into the flip-flop (shoes) way of life. I went to many of the tourist places that were here then. If you want to read about those places I would recommend you read the following article written by Lensmaster Fitzcharming. It's called: Florida Before Disney. I learned to eat southern foods. I found seafood, hush puppies, black-eyed peas, and cornbread, biscuits and gravy. Southern delicacies I called them.

I experienced my first hurricane. I think it was called Hurricane Cleo and it skirted up the east coast from Miami all the way to Jacksonville. I had my hurricane chart map out following every move. I've charted many hurricanes through the years. When I was in high school I wrote a term paper on charting hurricanes and gave my first speech on it. I was preparing my destiny even then. I'm sure my fellow students were excited about that. I am sure I will chart a few more in the future.

One of the first things I noticed about Florida is how green everything was. When you fly into Florida you see it from the air. The best thing is that it's green year around. The tropical kinds of trees and flowers were beautiful and I wanted to learn about them. This picture is old one...but one of my favorites. It's a bougainvillea bush at the former Cypress Gardens. I also loved to go to Bok Tower and go through the gardens. I especially enjoyed driving by the citrus groves and watching the citrus grow. Their blossoms are incredibly sweet. I know heaven must smell something like orange blossoms. When the citrus processing plants are in full production there's an aroma in the air that I call "warm orange marmalade". You can't miss it. I relish the citrus season and squeezing fresh juice.

My first winter in Florida was wonderful. Warm and crisp days were welcome sights to one accustomed to sub-zero January temperatures. I didn't miss the snow. I didn't miss driving on icy roads. I didn't even miss ice skating. Heck! I didn't miss winter at all. I went to the beach and played in the sand and the surf. That was good enough for me. Golf became my new "ice skating" as a winter sport.

Florida is still all those things to me today...some fifty years later. Florida has changed most definitely. I have changed most definitely. But my love and passion for this state remains and my destiny is still here to be fulfilled. Life's good!

Click here to vote this lens for Lens Of The Day!

Moving to Florida was updated May 26, 2012.