Life and Island Times July 17 2016 – Island Thoughts

The Florida Keys

. . . for most fresh water conchs there was no direct route from where they were at to where they got once in Key West. Most followed a zigzag course that took them through the big cities and careers, foreign travel and malls, until they hit the river of grass in south Florida . . .

as they approached the Keys, the road narrowed to a two-lane blacktop shaded by tall stands of mangroves that closed over their heads. In the place of the occasional long ago produce stand stood a honkytonk on the side of the road and a few derelict sailboats set into the mangroves. The urban sprawl of their lives was no longer visible in their rear view mirrors. The voice on the radio informed them that they had entered a zone called the Flakeys . . .

for some Key West is one big drag show. Its climate is relentlessly tropical allowing its people to flourish. The ordinary become extraordinary. Eccentrics thrive. Every nuance and quirk of personality becomes more pronounced and lovelier by the day . . .

because of the island’s diversity of music, islanders have never long known loneliness or been depressed . . .

newcomers often wonder if islanders feel cut off. “Cut off from what?” is their response when asked. On the whole they don’t see it as separateness. It’s quite the opposite . . .

island magic never stops. What goes from you, comes back to you. Once you start, you become part of the flow and you must keep it up. Just like the utility bill. Stop paying-n-playing, they’ll shut you off . . .

if there’s a single trait common to all islanders, it’s their love of its One Human Family and their willingness to help each other out . . .

islanders don’t care how you did it on the mainland . . .

Photos from around the Keys

Copyright © 2016 From My Isle Seat