Am I missing the mark in my perceptions??? (Miami, Tampa: amusement park, chapel)

[BucFan]

Today I needed to drive through malfunction junction during a.m. rush hour to get from Riverview to TIA and had absolutely no problem - I know that wouldn't be the case if I drove through the heart of most cities during a.m. rush hour.....the new opened roadway 275 is moving things along very well, I must say......don't know if I was just lucky and caught the traffic at a good time (it was about 7:45-8:15 today)....

[Furkidmom]

Originally Posted by jambo101

Dont let negative forum posters dissuade your dream,.Mod edit
Your future=
https://www.google.ca/search?q=Flori...ed=0CAcQ_AUoAg

OH MY GOSH those pictures took my breath away! (and made me sob....will add to why at the end of the thread)

[Furkidmom]

As I looked at the pictures of those beautiful beaches and those palm trees, it again brought to mind my dear niece, who had a beautiful 16 year old daughter, a dream to go to a place with Palm trees, Loved to walk the shores of Lake Superior and pick driftwood and agates, and also had a drug addiction.

I had both her and her daughter in my home when they got evicted from their apartment and she was doing pretty well. Then she fell off the wagon, so to speak,and I had to make her find her own place. She got cleaned up again, her daughter went to live with her, and even though she tried to tell me she was clean, I knew she was not. Her daughter went to live with a friend and her friends mom, and my beautiful niece went from pillar to post, living the life she did not have the strength to get out of even though I always told her, when you are ready sweetie, i am here to take that walk with you.
In August of last year her mom, my sister came to visit on a Monday since her hubby had some down time. Around 5 in the afternoon they headed for home 60 miles away. half an hour later, I got a call from a city detective. He informed me my niece was dead. 45 years old, beautiful, everything to live for and went to sleep and never woke up. I had to call her mom, my sister, to tell her to please turn around and come back to my home. When she said they were more than half way home and just tell her, I had to tell her that her youngest daughter was dead. The drugs won, her dream of ever seeing real palm trees died with her, and her daughter was now without a mother.

We have always wanted to retire to Florida and had plans to take her with us, even talking to rehab centers in the area. We will look for a home with beautiful palms, which will always bring me a smile, and also a twinge of sadness when I look at them and remember that beautiful girl....Those pictures posted by the moderator brought me to tears.....Thank You for their beauty.....

[Spring Hillian]

Originally Posted by jambo101

Theres many more negatives to Florida than just the traffic congestion.

There are many negatives to every place. Keeping those negatives out of life is the key.

[jambo101]

Originally Posted by retiredcop111

do the pros outweigh the cons?

Thats kinda a relative term as different people may experience pros and cons differently, suffice it to say after growing up in St Pete i am now happily living up north and enjoy a yearly vacation to Florida.

[GulfCoastGuy]

Originally Posted by Spring Hillian

There are many negatives to every place. Keeping those negatives out of life is the key.

Yes, Yes, and Yes again. There seem to be at least 2 negative nancy's on this forum whom are nothing but negative. Its too bad they are so miserable.. Life is too short to be that way.. Every place in America has its own set of problems so the best outlook is to accept it and embrace the positives.. I embrace the paradise weather we have here.

[jambo101]

Originally Posted by GulfCoastGuy

Yes, Yes, and Yes again. There seem to be at least 2 negative nancy's on this forum whom are nothing but negative. Its too bad they are so miserable.. Life is too short to be that way.. Every place in America has its own set of problems so the best outlook is to accept it and embrace the positives.. I embrace the paradise weather we have here.

By negatives you mean some one pointing out some of the the heavy traffic in certain areas of Florida? And perhaps me pointing out that perspective re-locators to Florida might want to know what some of those negatives might be?
OK then there are no negatives to Florida,its paradise,cmon down..

[retiredcop111]

Originally Posted by jambo101

Thats kinda a relative term as different people may experience pros and cons differently, suffice it to say after growing up in St Pete i am now happily living up north and enjoy a yearly vacation to Florida.

Very cool. There are a few things I miss about up north. But for the most part I like it here better.

[rich67]

Originally Posted by jambo101

By negatives you mean some one pointing out some of the the heavy traffic in certain areas of Florida? And perhaps me pointing out that perspective re-locators to Florida might want to know what some of those negatives might be?
OK then there are no negatives to Florida,its paradise,cmon down..

LOL...exactly.
I have done everything to make sure I enjoy the Florida lifestyle. I go to the beaches on both coasts. I bought kayaks and take them out on the Rainbow and Weeki Wachee all the time. I own bikes and we ride the trails in Ocala, Tallahassee, Gainesville and Miami. I have kids, and we have gone to all the amusement parks. So, of all people, I try to look at the positives of Florida while I am engaged in my career here, waiting for retirement. But all of a sudden, I am a "negative person" according to some passive aggressive people on here if I remotely point out that traffic sucks, it's overcrowded, and homeowner's insurance here is garbage. No kidding there are negatives to living in any other state. To be honest, I found very few negatives to living in Northern Arizona. Great weather, beautiful scenery, outdoor activities aplenty, and minimal population crunch and traffic in some towns. Downside? State income tax.
I guess if you sit in your house all day, go to brunch at Applebees, then head to a beach bar to down a couple beers your viewpoint on living and commuting in this state will be somewhat slanted. If you live in Wesley Chapel and have to drive to Tampa every day and work 7-5 because there is no work in Pasco, battle traffic all day, your view of traffic is much different than a person who lives in Citrus County and works at the corner store from 2pm-10pm.
So when someone posts up their angst about a certain point in a thread, there's always someone who tells them that they're wrong and that it's worse in other places, yada yada yada. Well, that's not the topic is it? The topic originally was someone ranting about why people are so negative and don't post up any positives about the Tampa area. I try to post up the positives, then throw out some negatives. For some people, MY negatives may not be theirs. Isn't that the point? I sure as heck don't get on here and bash other people for their PERCEPTIONS or EXPERIENCES in a particular locale, as SOME people do on here. I don't fault them for not seeing the same things I do. And I won't be condescending to them unless I feel they are truly off base and stubborn about it.
Jambo 101 summed it up:
Quote:
Originally Posted by retiredcop111 View Post
do the pros outweigh the cons?
Thats kinda a relative term as different people may experience pros and cons differently, suffice it to say after growing up in St Pete i am now happily living up north and enjoy a yearly vacation to Florida.
Rate this post positively
It's all relative. But one person's perception of an area is no less important that another's (although different) perception.

[Garson]

Originally Posted by BucFan

Today I needed to drive through malfunction junction during a.m. rush hour to get from Riverview to TIA and had absolutely no problem - I know that wouldn't be the case if I drove through the heart of most cities during a.m. rush hour.....the new opened roadway 275 is moving things along very well, I must say......don't know if I was just lucky and caught the traffic at a good time (it was about 7:45-8:15 today)....

Well hopefully this will make a huge improvement once all the lanes are open but for now.. I think you just lucked out. I drove through there Monday about 3 PM and it was a parking lot...as bad as ever.