If the sunshine is free...it must be Florida (not!)

I was driving eastbound, several blocks from my home, when a man in a van ran the red light and literally forced me off the road into oncoming traffic. I was trying to avoid him, maybe I should had hit him (I could use the money), but my better judgment made me avoid him ( I don't need the aggravation of a traffic accident). I immediately reacted as any reasonable person would...I was angry at the guy, and my initial response was to cut him off as well. Except that my educated mind told me I would descend into the same hellhole the guy lived in and I would be no better than he was. As I have thought about the incident several times since, I now need to put the incident in perspective.

You see, I live in Miami, where the mayor just gave his best close and personal friends a substantial raise, even though he knew fully well there is no money or funds to pay for the other county services. Not only did he give them a raise, he made the raises retroactive, so that when he was investigated, it would look as if they were given the previous year. He still had the audacity to defend the raises, even though he was supposed to merge his office with the county manager's to eliminate duplication - something he conveniently has not done, and now states he forgot - or better yet, he did not address when confronted with his misdeeds.

On the other side of the salad bar its the only utility company for the state claiming it needs to raise their fees by 30%. Never mind that they are in the midst of buying a new jet for their well-paid executives (which by the way, they fought ardently and lost to hide their salaries) aroud the state. One of their executives, who flies from Miami to Juno Beach on a regular basis for "business", has the audacity to defend his regular trips. I wonder how many of us have a helicopter ready at a moment's notice to fly in and out of our homes to go to work. I say, let's buy him a home in Juno Beach and skip the corporate jet. We could save so much gasoline spent stuck on I-95, and we would have a daily bird's eye view of those poor suckers not rich enough or connected enough stuck in traffic. How easy life would be!

Now back to my incident: put into this perspective, it is only a microcosm of the lawlessness that has pervaded Florida, and South Florida in particular. No longer is living an hoest life worthwhile, in fact, is merely dangerous to do so. Florida has become a haven for not only retirees, illegal aliens, but also crooks and corrupted officials. So living a virtuous life is like finding a virgin woman- good luck with that (no pun intended).

I was perusing old photographs tonight.... I was amazed at how much memory can be evoked from a picture. Your mind gets flooded with feelings, and sounds, and smells - just from looking at picture. For example, looking at one picture of my daughter I can distinctly remmeber a dozen occasions where I thought to myself: " I am such a lucky guy!" It's amazing how the brain can remember - and recall - everything about that one point in your life. Now that my children are adults, and only one remains, I get feelings of bittersweet memory whenever I look at their baby pics. It's the one connection with the past that is instant. Herein is what I am trying to say: it is so important to know as much as you can about your past, because it drives the future. The more you know about yourself, the more confident you feel about who you are and the possibilities of becoming a great person are easier. Life does not forget to teach - so I advise you to pay attention. Even in loss, there is a lesson to be learned.

Having had a great childhood despite much suffering, I came to appreciate the good life has to offer. As I look at the picture of my hometown, happy (and bad) memories come afloat, as if they had happened yesterday. Reminiscing about the past has kept my journey in a straight path. I have learned to respect the power of wisdom, and to use it wisely. I have learned to instill good values and morals to build character in my family. I have never forgotten where I came from, and however humble, it gives praise to my accomplishments. And that is what life is about: to love your fellow man, to do no harm, and to continue my journey , to trust the wind in my sails, wherever it might lead me.