We are Floridians. Born here or transplants, we all share
certain traits; but, like the change of the seasons, you have to know the
signs.
We are
water babies. Oceans, rivers, lakes, springs, swamps, marshes and the one
and only everglades make water equal to the land in our fair state. Floridians
interact with water in so many ways and so routinely that we can’t imagine our
lives without water. Ask a Floridian if they could live away from it and they
just shake their heads. Heck, on some days it’s so humid we swear we’re
breathing the stuff. Many of us are armed with
towels, swimsuits, flip-flops, fishing rods, just on the off chance that we’ll get to hit
the water, whatever form that takes. Water is so integral, it's even featured on our state seal.
We
expect sunny days. Rain is for cooling us off and keeping us green but we
don’t expect it to last longer than an hour so. We are the sunshine state,
after all. Sunscreen is sold year round. In a parking lot, it isn't the closest
spots that are taken first; it’s the shadiest. And if you want to see a real
sun obsession, just check out the number of sunrise and sunset photos
Floridians take.
We grow
stuff year round. Natives know when to plant the warm season crops and when
to start their cool season crops. Newcomers get to know the “old timers” and
find out right quick that the rules from back home won’t work here. We know
which varieties of ‘mater will bear the heat and which type of rose can resist
the dread spot. Floridians garden year round so they know to pace themselves and
listen to the rhythm of the earth. If you move to Florida, eventually the
desire to grow something will bloom in you.
We are
private. This is the heart of why Floridians are a bit hard to pin down.
We’re friendly, but because we are partly a tourist state, we've learned that
fortunes come and fortunes go. We've been built on booms and busts and it’s
happened more times than it should have. Whether you were a Cracker eking out a
living or a Seminole escaping removal to a reservation, a political refugee or just
someone in need of a warm home for your weary bones, you look to Florida to
give you peace. Millions found it, and made this their place in the sun.
In the
coming posts, we’ll explore more about what makes us Florida.
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