Fun with Julio & Dayne
What to do the Friday after Christmas… hang out with friends what else!
This has to sound familiar to most. You live in a great city and you never visit any of it’s tourist destinations because, well, they are always there. We take them for granted that they are just never going to leave. So we don’t bother making time to see what the fuss is all about.
Well, after eating a Mexican feast and talking about all kinds of things, my friend Julio pipes up and asks “What is there to do hear in Florida?” Mind you, he has lived here in Miami most his life. We all drew a blank trying to think of something else to do that would not involve a theme park (ala Disney) or visiting some beach community (ala Naples/Key West). After real bad attempts at coming up with some points of interests further up in central Florida, he says, “We (him and his wife) are thinking of going for an airboat ride wanna come?” I’m thinking “AIRBOAT RIDE!” Sounded cool but I have an aversion of being eaten alive by pigeon-sized mosquitoes! Yet with very little coxing we agreed to go and check it out.
Needless to say this was another lesson in how we cut ourselves short of God’s blessings simply because of fear of the unfamiliar. Being born and raised in Miami, I had NEVER been on an airboat ride. I had NEVER visited any of the Miccosukee Indian areas and I think i took a field trip to the Everglades in second grade. So much for having enough knowledge to create ANY kind of perception. Of course, with both families astride, we took off to the Miccosukee Arts Festival for a day of discovery. It was a great, beautiful day. We could not have picked a better day to go out there. The day was cool yet sunny. Breezy yet crisp. Perfect in every way.
Not only was the weather on our side, but so were our dear friends Julio and Dayne. You know, life should not pass us by so fast that we miss hanging out with the best people on earth. Julio and Dayne are those kinda of people you just can’t seem to get enough of. Don’t see them for six months, no problem, pickup exactly where you left off next time you get together. No guilt trip. No “Hey why don’t you call me anymore?” Just a genuine desire to be friends for as long as possible. In my book, they are low-maintenance with a high-friendship value.
Laura, armed with the digital camera took about 400 pictures. I’ve boiled it down to the following. Check them out. As you do, I hope it brings to memory that special friend you haven’t gotten together with in a while… go ahead and don’t wait to call and setup a gathering time. Also, I pray you see that the Lord, in His infinite wisdom, set us up to be amazed by the smallest pleasures in life… whether it’s exploring an indian village, examining the bumpy skin of an alligator or just enjoying the cool wind hitting you as you speed in an airboat, allow yourself to enjoy life… live life to the full.
As always, leave me comments and let me know what you think.
Click the picture to see the entire gallery
