Just Once Before I Move

How many years have I lived in southwest Florida? Nearly 30! After such a long time, you'd think I would have seen and done all that I ever dreamed of doing here in the land of perpetual summer. But, now that I am thinking of relocating to a place with 4 seasons, I find that I can name quite a few places I've "always wanted to go but just never made time"...

There is the Big Cypress Gallery filled with the black & white photographs of Clyde Butcher - the Ansel Adams of the Florida Everglades. Finally, just over the July 4th weekend, I made time to go there. And believe me, I was ever so glad that I did! What I would have missed had I not made time to go see for myself what the books and website can only elude to in the way of exquisite photos of the Everglades wilderness. You can get a taste of his work by visiting his website at www.clydebutcher.com.

Then there are places that are a bit farther away but still within the driving distance: St Augustine and Weekie Wachee where the mermaids live - no lie! Oh! Let's not forget the Coral Castle in Miami or the butterfly garden in Ft. Lauderdale. One more trip to Disney's Epcot Center would be nice and I hear that the Cypress Gardens has changed completely since I was there back in the '70's.

When my friend Judy came to visit recently she remarked "How great it must be to live so close to the beach and the water!" I didn't have the heart to tell her that until June when I had two rounds of company I couldn't tell you the last time I walked on the beach at sunset.

It isn't that I don't like to do such things. No, far from it. I draw great peace and strength from the pull of the tides. It isn't even my melanoma that prevents me from feeling comfortable about daytime visits in the intense and harmful sun. It is more about working hard, going full tilt- all day, every day- and never taking the time for renewal. It's about believing (no matter how erroneous that belief is) that the beach and gulf are always going to be there and that I will have all the time in the world to go back "some other day."

Why is it that when we live in a place we begin to take its attractions and its natural beauty for granted? Maybe we just figure that we have all the time in the world to get there. Maybe we just never seem to be able to make time in our over-scheduled daytimers. Maybe we never truly appreciate what we have until we are on the verge of losing it.

Once a person has been through two bouts with a life threatening disease such as I have, you quickly reassess your views on what is important and what can wait. You learn that you should never put off til tomorrow ... and you realize that our time in any one place is temporary. For that reason alone, we should all make time in our busy schedules to be UNscheduled and to do the things that bring us joy and fill our souls with goodness.

One thing's for sure - for the rest of the time I live here in Florida - no matter how many or how few those days may be, I am going to do all of the things I said I would do when I first moved here all those years ago. When I get to the place where 4 seasons abound, I don't want to have any regrets about the list of places and sights I never made time to go see.