work slowly but surely, if not tirelessly, on the lifelong goal of forgetting about Florida

and now I see that it’s impossible. This goal served its original purpose and also served as a motivator for taking action and adopting a positive attitude, but now it is time to lay it to rest. Good luck to everyone who wants out of Florida! I warn you, though, there is no way to obliterate it from your memory entirely… This list is proof! ;-)

Goodbye Florida, hello Colorado!

It’s exciting to think about living in a place where art, culture, and people in general are celebrated (see photo, click to enlarge and read notes).

It’s exciting to think about art, culture, and people in general being valued with a non-agenda-specific commissioned mural on the side of an otherwise-unsightly downtown building without it having to be about “making it up to” diverse populations who have previously been ignored or ostracized locally (encouraging the appreciation of diversity and culture is important, don’t get me wrong, but in South Florida, it’s starting to feel like just being who I am is not being diverse enough to merit funding, publicity, etc. – and of course on the flip side, also not being superficial and bling-bling enough renders the same results… and thus, my work is not very marketable, supportable, or encourageable by the few remaining arts-supporting organizations here). I could be wrong, but you all know the drill with me… I just don’t like the vibe here. Or lack thereof.

So, enough ranting. I’m abdicating my throne as chief-intolerant-of-where-I-live, the position is open to any number of willing local citizens who will happily pick up where I left off.

It will be difficult to forget Florida entirely, as I have so many memories and loved ones here, but I’m a sucker for fresh starts in beautiful new places… so, onward and westward! I’m outta here mid-April. I’m grateful, for so many reasons.

I’ve got a good feeling that there will be a lot more to be thankful for on the way with this move.

To me, Florida is like….a bigger New Jersey Shore… Hair, attitude, machismo, metro sheik next to redneck rowdiness and everything in between… a not quite fully melted melting pot with Disney World in the center. Since moving out in 88, I am consistently surprised on how over the top it’s become, but yet unchanged. On one occasion I remember visiting, and my mother boasting about how great Sawgrass Mills was…and how it was “the biggest” in the world. Floridian’s tend to describe things in superlatives….the best, the biggest, the hottest, the longest… and in my opinion, are eager to “size up” the people they meet to compare them on a socio-economic food chain.

Granted, I did spend my formative years there, and it’s easy to criticize where you’ve grown up. Not all Floridians exude this air of judge-mentality… but it’s what I tend to remember…and many visitors have unsolicitedly shared with me.

It’s not all bad… I enjoy Disney World…

upon special request ;-)

Those of you who know the requester well can see the commentary that spawned this goal (or request to be added over there).

(Image-with-tagline taken from this glorious musing, the author of which probably took said image from somewhere else, the author of which had probably taken said image from somewhere else still, and so on, and so forth, and whither, and thither, and hither, and yon.)

One more for good measure…