God’s Waiting Room
Some call Florida “God’s Great Waiting Room”. So why not have fun while you’re waiting for your number to be called? On the edge of Tampa Bay, Florida is a 55 years and older community called “Sun City Center” – Â (founded in 1962, current population 19,321 – minus those whose numbers are called).
It’s a beautifully equipped and maintained waiting room featuring golf courses, pools, shuffleboard, tennis, lawnbowling, dancing, wood working, ham radio, arts and crafts . . . and lots of sunshine and smiles. It’s resident population is 98.96% White and drive almost every where in golf carts. It’s where people like Bob and Marge from Toledo, Ohio go when they are ready to drop out of the “rat race” but not the human race.
My vibrant 80 years young Aunt moved there a few years ago and soon after retired from the convent after a very impressive career and life long devotion to human service.
Her invitation to stay with her enabled me to slip in under the 55 and over requirement and sample the “golden life” in Florida’s ultimate waiting room. After all the over stimulation of constant travel and juggling my business on the road, I loved the slow relaxed geriatric vibe of Sun City.
Everyone had time for each other and actually stopped to listen when they asked how you were. All those old men down by the pool calling me “son” made me feel young. I loved it.
But at my young age, I guess I’ll have to keep revving down the fast lane of the “rat race” before I’m ready to lie around the pool soaking up my last rays of sunshine waiting before my number is called.
Next Stop – Tom the International Man of Mystery in Naples Florida
March 19th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
that is great! Gods waiting room…what a hoot 🙂 I lived in Winterhaven FL when I was 19 with my high school sweetheart and made terriffic friends with some of the demographic you speak of here…they are a good crowd for chumming around. Where are you now? I talked to dad today and it sounded like you two werent gonna run into each other.
Pura Vida Anywhere!
rtg