English Assignment Due July 4, 2008 — As Promised – Here’s Mine . . . Why I Love Living In South Florida

“My post is internal only, English class; yours will be for the public!   Why I Love Living In ______________!”

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The Weather.   After having been born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee and after having lived in Houston, Texas, I came to Miami with my parents (as a single mother) at age twenty-one. The first winter was so enjoyable – going to the beach, taking long walks with the baby  in the evening (in shorts), and not having to scrape ice off my windshield. I loved writing to my friends “back home” and giving them the weather report. Even though my first fall included battening down the hatches from a would-be Hurricane David (1980), at least I was warned about the impending storm. In Memphis, I endured several surprise tornadoes as well as an actual earthquake.

The Diversity. When my child was born, I made a personal decision to not teach her prejudice.  Her very first best friend was from Puerto Rico.  My daughter developed friends from people who were originally from all over the world, from Nicaragua to Israel, from the time she was in  pre-school through college. She has been known to become extremely annoyed and vocal if any derogatory remark is made about a certain people group.  It was not a part of her upbringing.

Before moving to South Florida, my father advised, “Be careful not to say anything derogatory about the Cuban people. They look just like us. There could be a Cuban standing right beside you, and you would never know it.” I chuckle every time I think about that. You would have thought he was talking about some alien life form from Mars. Besides, with my Southern upbringing, would I have been as ungracious or impolite as to say anything critical, offensive or insulting about another people group — especially in their presence?

Diversity — Food! I had never eaten Cuban food before.  My first South Florida New Year’s Day, I had the opportunity of devouring pork that had been mojo’d on a spit in my neighbor’s backyard. Thereafter, I traded in my fried chicken, mashed potatoes and apple pie for arroz con pollo,  ropa vieja and tres leches. I remembered offering my grandmother the fine delicacy of arroz con pollo. My “Granny” was a Tennessean clear to the bone and was actually related to ol’ Daniel Boone himself. Her only comment was, “it needs a little gravy.”

The Opportunities. When I visited my home town recently, I was surprised at how little the town had changed. In fact, it appeared to be in disrepair. My fellow classmate was consoling and said that I had only visited the “not-so-great” parts; however, those “not-so-great parts” were where I lived as a child, went to school and grew to an adult (and where my classmate currently lives . . . hmmmmm).

My opportunities for personal and professional growth and education, as well as the expansion of my real estate portfolio, were the results of my having settled in the land of opportunity, sunny beaches and swaying palms. Thank God.

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I often thought it would be a great idea to put a a Pollo Tropical in Memphis.  My mother said, “Better add gravy to the menu.”

“Of course,” I added, “and subtitles.”