It's 7:45pm/April 30th , had my dinner ,washed the dishes and now I am writing something that has been itching me for quite a while now. Perhaps maybe those who read this can understand where I'm coming from and why I am here, right here , right now expressing my "disgust".
Granted, the first quarter of 2023 has not been an easy pill to swallow and its not gonna get any easier to do so. But the remainder is going to be just as hard. I thought I could look away and go about my business while minding my own business. But it is not an easy task, looking away that is. You see, I'm living in a world (a state) that I simply don't recognize, don't understand , heck didn't even possibly think it would turn into the place it is now. A place that I would come to 25 years ago for sunshine, fun, happy memories and the place on building the future for my family and myself by calling it "home". I ask you, aren't we to feel safe at home ,in our homes?
So in our decision to move here, many would tell me things like "oh you're going to live in a purple state , good ole boy country , etc., etc., etc.". I simply would state that I was looking for a quieter , slower way of life for my family and I. Oh yeah right! First day we reached Florida was at Sanford's Amtrak Auto Train station. I wanted for my husband, my son and myself to travel down to our new home state via train, relaxed and ready to experience the sunshine state and everything in it. But , it didn't start that way. As soon as we were given our Jeep / SUV from unloading, a very friendly (and I'm being sarcastic) older gentlemen drove by so close you could slice salami, which in a way he almost hit my husband as he was getting into the driver's seat. But I didn't tell you his welcoming statement : "shut that goddamn door before I tear it off!" That was our first official welcoming greeting into Florida life. Red FLAG Alert! Needless to say, we were pretty shaken up, especially my son who at the time was 9 years old.
Next welcoming came when I went to drop off my son at school on his official first day. Well that too ended up kind of comical in its own way. It went something like this , " hi, good morning, I'm here to drop off Alberto, pause..... the person on the other side of the desk leans over and asks where's Alberto , mind you he was standing right next to me. Then someone yells from the back of the line and says , "they're looking for someone that looks like me, (this was another Hispanic)." I was like whoa, really in the 21st century, really?! Again welcome to Polk County FL.
But hey, we're from the big apple and we can survive through anything, right? Well , apples are sort of sweet and oranges well, they rarely are. During a job interview I was asked if I was married to a "Latino", I decided to be a wisenheimer...I said ," how did you know, oh cause of my last name ? Actually that's my father's last name, but yes, I'm Puerto Rican, have you been to Puerto Rico ?, you don't need a passport." Well , I didn't take their offer needless to say , I decided to work for a Latino company in the fine arts and upscale decorative industry for well over 50 years in Tampa (Lladro). Loved the fact that 50% of my staff was Hispanic and we had much in common. So I felt ready to then to begin my connections with the Hispanic community in Tampa and learned through them how to swim through the minutia that was my new home state.
Election time was coming up. Now this was going to definitely be fun. I had people that became acquaintances from our sons school asking me questions like , " so whom are you voting for or what party are you affiliated with etc...,etc...,etc." I simply would answer in my "wisenheimer way" ," I'm voting for the winner of course!" LOL......who I vote for or what party I belong to is none of anyone's beeswax. Hey at least I thought of it that way. I learned soon enough that belonging to the red coats or the blue coats was an integral part of belonging in the Sunshine state way of politics. We learned quickly that this was one of the most important contact sports in this state and we had to tone up if we were going to participate in them to compete in effectively place a winner for the people.
But let me get back to when we decided to move here and make a life here for ourselves, for our family. Yes, we knew it was going to be a challenge and we were ready to make it work for family and we have thank God for surviving, especially with the crazy we've experienced here. But lately the temperature is not the Floridan weather ladies & gentlemen, but the temperature this states administration has " imposed" on its tax payers, its constituents. Simply put, declaring a state of war on policy, corporate America and onto its constituents. Declaring those who look , speak , think , worship, vote , teach , so simply different to their standards and so they have declared that they must ALL be shut down. Making many reconsider leaving their homes, this state because they fear the evil coming their way is not going away soon enough and that they're in mortal danger especially wit the new gun laws placed in the last few days. But I still have faith that y'all will wake up from the poison apple we all bit into, that placed you/us into a deep sleep. Afterall Snow White woke up from it because of a pure of heart embrace/kiss.....which should be the next one up to save us from the madness.
A state sold to many, to be known for sunshine , freedom, tax privileges, happiness and opportunities , is now feeling more like a "totalitarianism" type of state , instead of cultivating "individualism" a type of state celebrating a vibrant population of citizens and ideas of justice. So my neighbors , what's your plan and are you going to work that plan? We can not stand by and simply let things go by, its our right , it is our duty. We can not stand by and not question those we choose to nominate, those we elected into office. You need to WAKE UP and not fall asleep on the driver's wheel. Because they WOKE UP and are making sure you never do. Let's take an example from my birth place when they ousted the RED elephant in the room. The people of Puerto Rico made sure he resigned and LEFT the people to decide how their beloved home should be lead and governed. Let us think on this, sounds crazy ...but it may just make better sense than allowing someone to run for POTUS (if during an encounter with another candidate LIVE on tv it was proven to us that he LIED) with the recipe he has instilled on our state.
Governor of Puerto Rico , Luis A. Ferré