THE SCENIC ROUTE

Our home is in a community designated as a bird sanctuary. We also have a beautiful golf course which had been private but is now open to the public. With large trees and slightly hilly roads, our area definitely does not look like a typical Florida community with palm trees. We are fortunate to have a large library and many churches. Shopping is available in any given direction. We can drive to our local beach in less than ten minutes

I will admit the beach is very small and mostly unsanitary, so I won’t recommend it for swimming although you usually see people in the water who don’t know any better. It has well maintained picnic areas and restaurants on the water and there is a nice ice cream store nearby. That’s what old Florida looked like many years ago.

Now for the downside, there are about four main roads leading into or out of our community. One such road feeds onto a major highway. As we leave one of our main entrances, there is a red light. On the right side is a Wal-Mart on the left a K-Mart, directly across the street are some small establishments. A strip club, a barbershop and a pawn shop. In front of the pawn shop are several enormous signs saying they have guns and ammo for sale. Right next to them is a dilapidated building filled with donated clothing and things which are free to the poor.

On the Wal-Mart side is an area where the homeless congregate, men and women usually holding signs asking for money as you wait for the light to change. As you turn south on the highway, there is a small mall which has some nice stores, but slowly businesses are leaving.

Driving further south you see many strip malls which are half empty, so it’s really surprising that in our large mall many new business have opened up and we have three or four new hotels, too. I don’t understand why we have so many hotels.

That’s the scenic route and it will probably look that way for the time being unless someone comes up with a big plan to change it.  After attending a meeting of our county commissioners, I don’t have much hope that a good plan is in the offing.

THE MORAL PULPIT

According to national television news channels, President Obama used the Moral Pulpit not the Bully Pulpit to address the country after the death of unarmed Trayvon Martin by gun toting George Zimmerman who claimed his life was in danger.

Although we have a few close black friends, we’ve never had a discussion regarding how they’ve been a victimized by discrimination. After hearing the President’s own words, I feel guilty about some of my own actions, although I’ve never considered myself a racist, I also don’t believe any of my children or grandchildren are racists.

I do believe that Zimmerman purposely caused an altercation with Trayvon so that he could use his gun knowing he could get away with it in Florida and become a hero to his community after getting rid of a bad black guy. The message he asked be sent to his wife was “I killed him” and showed no remorse. It was probably to satisfy her because she had been frightened by something which had happened before in their neighborhood. He must have called her earlier and told her he would take care of the punk he was following. 

The prosecution in the case told the jury in its closing statement to use their common sense in finding a verdict. To a jury of piers who supposedly don’t watch television or read the news that must have been pretty difficult for a group of people who are used to walking around in a fog. Now they as well as George Zimmerman are in hiding.

Do you suppose the gun used in the killing was returned to George? It’s entirely possible he could make a lot of money by selling it on e-bay.

 

IT WAS A VIRUS

Last week a friend told us she was doing much better after being ill for quite a while. We asked what her problem had been. Turned out she had a virus which had been going around and her symptoms were continuous coughing and having no energy to do the slightest chores. Her doctor confirmed the virus.

For weeks I felt guilty because I spent so much time in my chair only getting up to do laundry or cooking, then feeling exhausted after doing them. I had gone to the doctor’s for my cough a week or so before and received an anti-biotic which didn’t help. I don’t think he had heard of this particular virus at that time. Our next door neighbor told me he had the very same problem.

I think I’ve been affected by my illness more than I realized. At my age it’s harder to get back in gear and although I have many things I want to write about, I don’t seem to have the energy to do much of anything.

Now I wish I complained more and felt less guilty.