Florida Shorts 1 – Stories from Paradise

“Better & Better”

Florida Shorts – Stories from Paradise – are filled with better and better light, from twilight to morning to afternoon sun. We remember that light because, once upon a time we lived on the west coast of Florida. People who lived there liked to call it the best coast. And from the moment we arrived it all felt like the best. It was beguiling. Enchanting. It made one feel good – great – grand – to be alive.

Furthermore, we wanted to share our experiences and enjoyed visitors from New England who came to stay with us for a respite from the cold North winter.

Like my last story about the glowing ‘balm’ that Maya Angelou shared, this one is filled with Light! It came to pass when our son visited us for a long weekend.

In the Sun

Scott’s plane coursed through the sun-glints and powered over the Tampa Causeway between Bay and Bayou, preening in its sphere of paradise in March… to say nothing of the tropical breezes and infinite blue skies that greeted the businessman from the north. It was like a tantalizing flower, opening with alluring colors and enticing scents. Impossible to miss and impossible to resist.

The car ride westward over the long bridge heightened the sensations, as the sun began its dance into the Gulf of Mexico and the clouds fan-dang-go-ed in hot swirling rhythms. Moment by moment, Scott was falling under the spell of fabulous Florida, and the intertwining connections that can surprise when first encountered. Rolling down the window for a breath of fresh air, only served to carry him further aloft. He felt himself soaring and gliding on the up currents, together with the osprey he watched hovering over its high cropped nest. Scott was ‘beaming-up’ to his own private enterprise in the lure of Florida.

His dad pointed at the sunset and laughingly said, “It doesn’t get much better than this!”

And Scott answered, “I don’t know. It already is better and better! It’s awesome!”

Twilight in Paradise

We arrived in our little village at twilight time, to walk the warm brick streets fronting the sprawling little shops. An outdoor café welcomed us to sit beneath twinkling lights, winding through palm fronds that breathed above us. The balmy evening removed Scott’s workaday suit and he relaxed into the new sensations of respite and refreshment.

We felt we could sit there all evening and were only enticed away by a walk down to the Bay. Small craft in the harbor were serene silhouettes, rocking at their mooring slips, with their halyards clacking softly at the main masts. The moon hung over the Bay in a silver hoop and glades of light splattered the dark waters, bordered with towering palm trees that lined the shore drive. Strolling home, we watched them gently shake their mop heads into the stars, connecting the dots of heaven. It was easy to fall asleep in paradise.

Morning Shades

The morning shades rolled up over the distant white buildings on the beach across the bay, painting them in tender roses and fuzzy peaches. Likewise, the blue-green of the waters played tag with the lapis blue of the sky, tumbling over the low strip of land that kept the gulf at bay. Mother Nature was dealing out her calling cards to come and play: an early morning swim, a walk through the hammocks, a bike ride down the trail, shell collecting on the nearby island. Take your pick or try it all!

The hours spun away, and for the afternoon entertainment, we had tickets to the last baseball game at the arena, just two blocks up the bike path. The crowds gathered along the concourse in a kaleidoscope of color and voices that greeted with sunny smiles and laughter. Scott was soaking it all in. We had two extra tickets for the game, and we noticed another younger father and son standing in the ticket line. With smiles all around, we gave them the tickets.

Baseball

Our seats in the stadium had us up-close-and-personal with the Major League players on the field: Blue Jays and Phillies. Public announcements and hawkers selling their food-and-drink crackled through the air . The Beer Man’s deep baritone voice sang out: “Ice-s-s-s cold beer! Fresh-h-h roasted peanuts!” He looked up at us accusingly and continued, “Someone is thirsty right here! I-I-I can f-e-e-l it!” His smile took in the whole stadium, and he opened his arms, engaging one and all: “H-H-H-a-a-a-y-y-y!” The crowd responded in kind: “H-H-H-a-a-a-y!” Over the echo, Scott’s dad called out, “Free beer!” and without missing a beat, the Beer Man hooted back: “Free beer! Tomorrow!” The crowd laughed with them both.

Soon the younger father and son with their free tickets, arrived at their seats, loaded down with refreshments to share with their benefactors. The young son looked at Scott’s Boston Red Sox hat and laughed as he pointed to his own baseball cap emblazoned with the New York Yankee logo.

“Oh,” blurted Scott with a laugh, “We wouldn’t have given you the tickets if we had known you were Yankee fans!”

Then they were off and running with tails of the Boston – New York rivalry.

Connections

The game was about to begin with a Canadian chorus leading the stadium for the anthems: “O Canada” and “The Star Spangled Banner”. Everyone doffed their caps – whatever the logos – and sang out into the sunshine and bright green grasses.

Scott smiled, noting, “That was almost as good as Rene Rancourt singing at the Boston Bruins!”

A man behind us tapped him on the shoulder and grinned, pointing to his T-shirt: sure enough, a Boston Bruins logo.

It was a perfect game, each team showing off their best. Bats, cracking out balls, shooting out to the shortstop or flying over the outfield walls. Spectacular catches. Superb plays. Crowd-snatching errant balls. And home runs that set off hoots and cheers, bells clanging, and sirens whirring. Everyone smiling!

The sun blared over the stands. Scott noticed clever young kids creating shade tents out of the programs or inserting paper towels into their baseball caps to hang over their necks and shoulders.

7th Inning Stretch

In the 7th Inning Stretch, the Beer Man got everyone up on their feet, leading the crowd in a rousing rendition of ‘Take Me Out to the Ball Game’. Everyone sang enthusiastically and then plopped back into their seats for the last feats of the game.

By the quiet of the ninth inning, empty cups and peanut shells filled-in around all the stadium feet, and tired, sun-reddened youngsters looked for shadier seats. One young boy moved out of the sun seats onto the shaded steps. He sat, knees to chest, on the cool cement under the railing, playing with his baseball cap, circling it around his head. Scott noticed another Boston Red Sox logo. He smiled to himself – another fan!

Better and Better

A tall elderly man appeared at the bottom of the staircase. Slowly yet gingerly, he began to climb upward. As he moved closer, the boy respectfully shifted over to make room for him. The elder looked up at the younger and broke into a beautiful smile. He stared right at him and tipped his cap to him. The boy held up his hand in a salute. When the man reached the boy they gave each other a knuckle-fiver, and the youngster grinned shyly. Neither one said a word. Then the man moved upward and onward, grinning like the boy he left there, still sitting self-consciously on the steps.

That’s when Scott realized there was a Boston Red Sox logo on the old man’s cap. A little shiver streaked through him. “Did you see that?” He whistered to us.

We nodded. Paradise puts on a show of all kinds of connections… in nature and people. Moreover, this intergenerational encounter was one of the best.

Scott looked at us and grinned. “Thanks!”

His dad smiled back and answered, “It just keeps getting better and better!”

LIGHT ON!