Bent But NOT Broken

[Downdraft]

We Floridians have been through a lot this year. For years on this board and others we were constantly called "people I disagree with" ( a term I personally hate.) We've taken our lumps over the years Andrew, Opal, Erin but with the exception of Andrew haven't seen a major hurricane smash the main part of the state since Donna in 1960. We lived in ignorant bliss enjoying our beautiful beaches on the Atlantic our pristine Gulf shores. Hurricanes either always turned or hit south Florida, NASA and Disney were safe havens. Well folks Mother Nature woke us up this year. We've paid for 40 years of planting the wrong kind of trees, using them to cover up power lines and neglecting our retention areas. My illusions about hurricanes has been smashed forever. Part of me still considers the hurricane to be one of the most beautiful awesome forces of nature while another part of me, the husband, the dad, the man, considers them evil, malignant monsters full of anger and destruction and unrelenting misery for untold thousands of my fellow man. Yes, we are bent, some are broken but we will go on. We rebuild our neighborhoods, we rebuild our towns and we rebuild our State. Yes, no state is threatened more by hurricanes, no state has suffered as much as we have this year and God willing no state will have to go through this again. That being said there will be more Camille's, more Betsy's, more Donna's more Charley's ad infinitum. We go on we always go on.

[Rainband]

Excellent post

[dixiebreeze]

Nicely said, downdraft. That's the way we feel, too. Those who ask if we want to go on living in Florida just don't understand. It's a sub-tropical thing -- and we love it here. Florida is really one of the last frontiers in some ways. Wouldn't leave for anything.

[birdwomn]

well stated -
we will simply adapt and adjust and go on with life - and definately never forget.

[cinlfla]

This really touched my heart Thank You for posting it, it says it all.
Cindy on the Space Coast of Florida.