Can You Go Home Again?
BY MARIAN NEMESKY
Can you go home again?
Thomas Wolfe said, “No,”
but we decided to find out
for ourselves. Due to the Pandemic,
we hadn’t lived in our Florida sanctuary
for an entire year. During a
three-week visit, we hoped to find
out the answer to that question.
THE TRIP
Masked and anxious, into the airport,
onto the plane, walked the two
of us. People to the left of us, people
to the right of us, talking muffled, eating
undercover, we arrived at our destination
without a hitch. Our driver
was waiting, the sun was shining, the
fountains at our development were
burbling, welcoming us to Paradise.
THE HOUSE
Unmasked and excited, we flung
open our front door and what to
our wondering eyes did appear?
Sparkling floors, furniture arranged
just as we left it, and ducks and
egrets swimming and pirouetting
in our lake. No sugar ants were
cavorting on the counters. So far,
so good!
However, computers and telephones
were not working. Uh
oh. Those little green WiFi lights
were not shining or blinking. Our
service provider (Hot Wire) sent
a super-tall technician, whose
head almost reached our twelvefoot
ceilings. He must have been
a native-born Floridian, because
everything grows tall in Florida--
except transplanted Floridians of
a certain age, who grow down…
and out. He and a new old friend
(that’s a story for another time)
became our saviors. We were back
in cyberworld with a tap and a
flick.
FRIENDS
Unmasked and happy, we socialized
with our friends as if we never
went away. The quotation, “True
friends are never forgotten. They
live within your heart,” is true.
However, we WERE all one year
older. Some of them were sporting
new convertibles (walkers) or canes,
or walking a little slower than I
remembered. Some were thinner,
some a little heavier, and some had
more laugh lines that remained way
after they stopped laughing. But it
was SO good to see them all.
RESTAURANTS
Unmasked, with a little trepidation,
we ate outdoors and inside.
Two favorite restaurants had gone
out of business, but others, much to
my delight, were as good or better
than we remembered.
WEATHER
Unmasked or masked, it was
HOT, HOT, HOT!!! As Snowbirds,
we were never exposed to the summer
heat, and it turns out, we didn’t
miss anything.
CAN YOU GO HOME AGAIN?
My answer is a resounding,
“YES.” On the other hand…
Mensch on a Bench
BY IRENE FRANK
There was something about
his presence that was magnetic.
First came the birds.
They danced around his feet and
told him all their problems. Some
even landed on his knees and
shoulders. They knew him and
loved him and he seemed to speak
their language.
He appeared on the same bench
every morning at sunup, offering
them their treats for the day, tiny
bits of cracked corn, hulled sunflower
2021
September seeds, raisins, peanut butter
¢and, on weekends, bananas and
COURIER apples. They told their families
about this strange and generous
man. Common as well as exotic
birds flocked to him—mockingbirds,
TOWERS Key West quail doves, ruby
throated hummingbirds, mangrove
cockatoos.
The man worked for the St.
SHORE Petersburg water department and
needed to find a relaxing place to
clear his head before work. The
NORTH palm trees, the bench and beach
were his therapy; the sane, sun and
water his world, and the birds his
I would add, “On this bench sits
30 companions.
a mensch.” Every day he wore the same outfit:
a Panama hat with an orange
band, a bright white suit starkly
contrasting his ebony skin, an
orange tee-shirt to match the hat
band, polka dot socks, black and
white wingtip shoes, dark sunglasses
and just a hint of a smile.
Then came the people. As the
early morning joggers passed by,
the man waved and wished them
a good day and good health. After
a while, some stopped to chat. They
told him about their lives, their difficulties
with their children, their
dreams and disappointments. Soon
he was holding impromptu healing
sessions. People could be seen waiting
in line to speak to him.
CBS heard about this and sent a
reporter to interview this unusual
person. Since all the news of the
day is now depressing and upsetting,
the station decided to include
a “feel good section” and thought
this story might fit the bill.
The interviewer watched the
procession of men and women who
considered this man their personal
therapist. Although he haf no formal
education, he was revered for
his wisdom and kindness. He was
a king here; his throne a common
park bench, his scepter a colorful
carved Haitian cane.
One woman, when questioned
said, “He knows everything about
me. He is nonjudgmental and
accepts me as I am.” Another said,
“Every day that I see him here, I
know everything is going to be okay.”
During a brief lull in the activity,
the interviewer said to the man, “I
don’t see you giving any advice
or even having a conversation
with anybody. You just nod your
head and say, ‘Hmmm’ or ’Yeah, I
understand.’ How does that help
them?” The man replied, “When
you express to someone that you
are really listening, that you care
about them and what they are
saying has value, you are sending
a powerful message. Listening is
the number one skill needed today.”
He moved his body to the right
and with tears in his eyes, pointed
to a bronze plaque his friends had
installed on the bench. It read, “To
a loving and loyal friend and confidant,
forever and always.”