Am I An Old Fart - Or Are Young People Stupid - Or Both (Jacksonville: fit in, mortgage)

[Robyn55]

Originally Posted by chean10

if i am almost 50 does that me me an old fart!!!! hope not!!!

Well - you're old enough to join AARP . Robyn

[BlueWillowPlate]

Nothing is black and white, and whatever the case was in the 70's is not the precise situation now.

We have foolish elders and shrewd youth and everything in between.
There have always been the selfish and clueless and there always will be.
It's just that everyone and everything gets more publicity now.

No doubt *some* lessons were learned after the housing bubble popped here in Florida. But not everyone understands.

I raised my kids to be prudent but not fearful shrinking violets--that's how I and my husband were raised--and they are doing just fine.

I agree that marketable skills will find a way--the tricky part as getting that foot in the door.

We bought the house we are living in now without renting first, without me even seeing it firsthand (but I did pick out the neighborhood.)

[Robyn55]

Originally Posted by SunnyDay70

I'd be interested to hear what it was like living in Miami as a young single person in the early 1970's...???

My first trip to Miami was in 1991 so already a lot had changed. Sorry if this is a bit off topic.

Huge changes in those 20 years. I first moved there in 1971 - lived in Coconut Grove - and it was a combination of the old south in general in a small city (Miami was really small then - Dadeland didn't exist) - with Coconut Grove being very "hippy dippy" in a 60's retro kind of way if you know what I mean (I will take the fifth amendment and not incriminate myself with specifics ). I worked in Liberty City for Greater Miami Legal Services. It was a slum even back then - but I always felt safe going to work. I would have lunch at Piccadilly cafeteria (or perhaps it was Morrison's - we still have some Piccadilly locations in Jacksonville - but I'm afraid it's the last of a dying breed).

My situation was a little unusual. My husband didn't want to get married after we got out of school - he only wanted to live together (which I didn't want to do) - so I moved to Miami (from the northeast) in May or so. He came down for a long Labor Day weekend - begged me to move back with him - and I said I'd only do it if we got married. So we got married (3 days later - you needed blood tests and a waiting period then). And I moved back up north (we moved back to Miami in early 1973 - but then I was living as a young married - not a single). But I had a fun summer there as a single person - lots of parties by the pool at the apartment building where I lived - met a lot of lawyers at work who went on to bigger and better things who remained colleagues for decades. When I go through the part of Coconut Grove where I lived that summer - it's hard to imagine I was paying about $200/month for rent.

And BTW - my husband and I have now been married for almost 39 years. So I guess whatever I did in terms of our relationship worked . Robyn

[nboeck]

Very impressive Robyn on the 39 years! If only more people could remain committed despite their current circumstances or issues...everyone seems to give up too easily these days, or dare I say it, um, are they simply too lazy to "work on something" that's distasteful or requires some introspection of oneself.

[James420]

Originally Posted by Robyn55

I don't know about the kinds of jobs available at JAX PORT (or what your skills are). I can tell you that we've used the same plumbing firm since we built our house 15 years ago (it did the original plumbing). At the height of the building boom maybe 4 years ago - it employed 75 plumbers (and it could take a week or more for an appointment except in case of emergency). Now it only employs 15 - and it can come same/next day for anything (it has been very sad for the owner to let go people who have worked for him for a very long time). Construction was a huge industry here - and now it isn't. Perhaps you have some specialized skills that might give you a "leg up" (I don't know much about being a plumber). If not - you're going to be competing with a lot of out-of-work plumbers. Sorry to sound blunt and brutal - but that's the way things are here. We try to find whatever work we can around the house for people these days - but I doubt what we do makes a dime's worth of difference compared to an unsustainable construction boom. Robyn

I appreciate your help, just more to think about for me.

[BabyBoomers2]

Then there are those who have been married for 30 plus years, but really aren't married! They do separate things all the time and sleep in separate bedrooms. To wife/I that would be total agony, but to them it's the way they want their marriage to be. Neither want to get help for the marriage and don't want a divorce either. They pretty much just "exist" in the marriage and that's it.
Then there are those couples that have been married for all those years and they truely love each other and it shows!

Originally Posted by nboeck

Very impressive Robyn on the 39 years! If only more people could remain committed despite their current circumstances or issues...everyone seems to give up too easily these days, or dare I say it, um, are they simply too lazy to "work on something" that's distasteful or requires some introspection of oneself.

[fsquid]

Both

[SunnyDay70]

Originally Posted by Robyn55

Huge changes in those 20 years. I first moved there in 1971 - lived in Coconut Grove - and it was a combination of the old south in general in a small city (Miami was really small then - Dadeland didn't exist) - with Coconut Grove being very "hippy dippy" in a 60's retro kind of way if you know what I mean (I will take the fifth amendment and not incriminate myself with specifics ). I worked in Liberty City for Greater Miami Legal Services. It was a slum even back then - but I always felt safe going to work. I would have lunch at Piccadilly cafeteria (or perhaps it was Morrison's - we still have some Piccadilly locations in Jacksonville - but I'm afraid it's the last of a dying breed).

And BTW - my husband and I have now been married for almost 39 years. So I guess whatever I did in terms of our relationship worked . Robyn

Thanks for sharing....the Coconut Grove with the 1960's vibe...sounds like a GOOD time!

[Magnolia Bloom]

Robyn-

We may have known each other back in the day.... Coconut Grove, the Hari Krishnas and those skinny pink cigarettes....

As for moving with no job..... I say- nothing ventured, nothing gained. (And, NO, I am not still smoking those skinny pink cigarettes.......I just haven't grown up!)

[1970pelle]

Without reading the whole thread.I'm very greatful to live in the Jacksonville Fl. Area.I like,its a nice area lots to do.If you can find anything to do you haven't looked to hard.I'll die here.I do remember snow and how I hated to shovel the stuff.Cold hands wet cold feet,frozen snot that had run down your face.High heating bills.Getting stuck in snow.Getting stuck when there wasn't any snow but clear or black ice covering everything.I don't now how many times I had slipped and busted my butt.Then jump up quickly if it was possible so nobody would notice.Digging the news paper out of the snow pile that you put there clearing the walk way or your driveway.Speaking of drive ways it should be law that after you have cleared your drive way by shoveling,plowing,useing snowblower,paying neighborhood kids to shovel,shaming your own kids to get away from the TV,phone ect.To have the local ,county.state snowplows come by at super sonic speed and installl a new wall of snow,ice,slush blocking your drive once again.But this time you will need dynamite to clear.A new law must be pushed through as soon as possible.WOW I sure went off the deep end.I love Jacksonville.So what about this weather awsome.KA