There are roads less taken in this world.
There are roads less taken in this world. I find, in my life, that has tended to be my path.
I sit here this morning in Fort Lauderdale, looking at
fogged over windows because I keep the AC on way cold at night, and this is a
sign that summer and its humidity is truly here. Looking around the condo, that started as my
home in early 2011 and in a city, I have called home since 1992 I know the
dauntless task of packing begins.
Except for a few years in the mid 2000’s I have had part of
my life and much of my heart in Fort Lauderdale for 27 years and in this
building for 25 of those years. Along
the way have shared my home with others, dogs and split lives with New York,
New Jersey and Provincetown but always had my foundation here in Fort
Lauderdale and in this building.
I sit here, with more coffee, after going to Home Depot for
moving boxes, tape, and markers to put off the start of packing, and another
sign that we are moving away to Austin, TX.
311 is under contract, the inspection and appraisal went off without a
hitch, and the closing date is as set as can be currently for June 26th.
I wonder since I have lived in 303, 304 and 311 why could I
have not done something a little less radical like move to the second floor. 😊 We sat
here contemplating other moves including Seattle, Tallahassee, Savannah and
even Asheville, NC but have settled with Frank and Miss Belle to move to
Austin, Texas.
Doesn’t mean this chore of packing is easy, and not sure it
ever is, but I have done this a few times more than most in my life. I moved three times just in the New York
Area, and 311 is really my fourth Florida home, but this move includes feelings
of love, optimism fear and the occasional tear, as well.
I created in unit 311, Camelot Shores, a fortress that was my creation and protected
me from personal and financial chaos while bringing happiness and joy. I remember after one failed romance, going
out and buying new bedroom furniture that would raise up my view so I could
wake up watching the water flow down the river because he didn’t like looking
out the window, or having the blinds open all night to be woken up at the first
dawn of light and sounds of birds on the river.
Even as we sleep with the blinds closed these days, I still wake myself
up early, many days around 4:30AM without an alarm, to catch the sunrise on my
own and many times at the Beach.
It is hard to imagine it has been six years, since I was the
remodeling and reminding myself, each step of the way, that this is my creation
and if I don’t like it look in the mirror. Choosing cabinets, floors, paint colors and
even moving a few doors to gain more closet space. And, speaking of mirrors, I remember shopping
for a mirror for the master bath and finding it in a door mirror at Pier 1 with
Christian. I remember knowing the
appliances I wanted to buy and having my patience rewarded as I walked into a
Sears to find out they were 50% off for a day. This kitchen has hosted numerous parties, from
Thanksgiving and Christmas with Jack, to parties with the three amigos, and
simple dinners on the porch. The large
granite counter tops have seen me try to make matzo, pita bread, monster lasagnas,
numerous briskets, stuffed cabbage, chicken soup, lately beef short ribs and
even seen failed attempts that including shaving my thumb with a mandolin and
few less successful dishes that will stay secret.
25 years is a long time, and yet it feels like a short time,
to me to have been around this same building which has grown to be a community
and family. I remember moving into 303 and the sellers
removed all the nobs and shower heads from the condominium while I was at the
closing. I remodeled that kitchen just in time to move
to New York to become a snowbird. I will also never forget sitting at the
Ramrod the day Hurricane Floyd was to hit realizing that it might just hit the house
outside of NYC and it did.
I love my condominium here, but over the last few weeks it is
slowly ebbing away as my home, it is time to move to another city, grow and
evolve as a person and a family.
It isn’t easy leaving Fort Lauderdale. I have had my first loves here. I came out here. I met the two longest relationships of my
life here, and dare I say some of the sweetest dogs which oddly enough shared
the name Daisy.
I bought my first home here.
Broke up with Art, Brian, Ross, Brad, Steve. oh well not all my life in
Fort Lauderdale was a success and have friends that had my back through all the
permutations of life and relationships.
Fort Lauderdale has grown from being a mid-point destination
in South Florida, for people wanting to visit Miami and or West Palm Beach to
its own destination. Great scenery,
homes, restaurants, and flowers that are so vibrant they say take a picture of
me because you can’t paint any way! It
is more of a working world than a vacation one as it was when I arrived. When I arrived, which was 27 years ago, the
beach was full of older hotels, there were a few good restaurants such as East
City Grill (long gone) and Casablanca.
There were many gay bars, but looking back they were all mostly hidden
from view. There was a bar called the
Hide Away which was nondescript, and there were others that were slightly off
the beaten path, but they were where it was possible to be gay safely as one
would slowly open and remove the door from one’s own closet.
Today, Wilton Manors sits in the middle of the Fort
Lauderdale community, and all around are gay bars comfortable in their display
of gay pride flags as they compete for the different men and women walking the
drive. There used to be a few
restaurants, who remembers Chardee’s food was good but made you feel young no
matter your true age. Now, there are
good restaurants like Ethos, Rosies and we still think the wings at the Alibi
are hard to beat.
Fort Lauderdale, and Wilton Manors passed a long time ago
non-discrimination policies protective diversity of all in our community making
us feel comfortable here even in this time of renewed division and fear in our
country.
I have some of my longest and dearest friends here, Cecilia
who moved here with IBM before me and became not only a good friend but also a
protector of my heart when she felt I needed it. She also happened to be the first person I
came out to, at probably the longest lunch at an Olive Garden in history. She was around for the end of relationships,
helped end one, and will be in my life wherever I live! In keeping tradition, we helped close down
brunch at Sea Watch recently.
There are three amigos who also happened to not only become
trusted friends, but happened to be around a few gone bad relationships, and
magically traveled to Ptown to stay in a 310 sq foot condominium and not feel claustrophobic.
I met Jack who is smart, and charming, and probably forgot
our one date to Rosie’s. He became my
roommate for a while, and seems to always be in the right place when my career
was going through changes or I needed an ear.
There are recent friends, with Frank, that feel like family including Ken and George. Along with Pat and Bill, keep reminding us how lucky we are here and how wonderful life can be.
So, why move at all?
Frank has been itching to move since he sold his house, and
would like to live closer to his family.
Professionally for me, Austin is not just the capital of Texas, home to
the University of Texas, but also is an IT center in the country with Dell, IBM
and others as anchors to the diversity of professional opportunity. So, the professional opportunity and a happy
family is a good reason to move.
Texas maybe a red state, but Austin is certainly not a red
city. We will be comfortable there, just
a little more cautious than we may be used to here.
So, I will write more as more boxes are packed, and we get
ready on a journey of life, love and happiness.
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