“A Simpler Time”

I’ve shared with our readers in the past about my addiction to the one eyed evil monster, aka the television. This past weekend I had a chance to get away from my addiction. My wife and I took in Wakulla Springs State Park and stayed overnight at the lodge. When we checked in my wife said “Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that the bedrooms don’t have a TV.” The shock and horror of it all, no TV! What would I do?

Well let me tell you what I did. I spent the afternoon and evening attending a wedding at the lodge. It was a lovely wedding and I even wore a coat and tie without putting up a fuss. There was a lady who played the piano in the lobby during the wedding. Even more enjoyable was the fact that for several hours afterwards she continued to play.

After an excellent evening meal I retreated to a large comfortable chair near the piano player. For almost an hour I just sat and listened. I read a few brochures about the park, but mostly just enjoyed the music and conducted one of my favorite hobbies of people watching.

It struck me that the lodge, built in the 1930’s by Edward Ball (St. Joe Paper Company), was from a different era. It was from the pre-TV era. It was from an era when the one eyed monster wasn’t the focal point of so much of our entertainment. Think about it. So often our gatherings these days are centered around watching a sporting event, movie, show or something else on TV. I recalled hearing some of the older generation talk about the days when they would get together for sings, dances and social gatherings that included playing games or something as simple as just talking.

After all the festivities I retired to our room and not being able to turn on a TV, instead picked up my book “Undaunted Courage, “ by Stephan Ambrose. In my mind I joined the Lewis and Clark 1804 expedition in their canoes. I waited in anticipation for what lay around the next bend. And then the next morning I went for a 3 mile hike through the woods, just me, my hat and my hand made hiking stick.

The whole TVless weekend left me with a sense of peace and relaxation. I am soon to turn 50 and the older I get the more I appreciate the soothing sounds of a softly played piano, a quit walk in the woods, a leisurely paddle down a river or just plain old fashion socializing with other folks. I know that the good ole days might not have been so good as far as some of the comforts, but Simply Put, they were a simpler time and a time that I think I would have thoroughly enjoyed.



From the front porch: Uncle Bob said that his brain is like lightening. One brilliant flash and then it’s gone.