Wow a new politically correct term.
3/15/2009
Incredibly Florida newspapers do not use
snowbirds anymore. The new politically
correct word is
"winter residents." The following story is an article in the
Port Charlotte Sun By Mike Billington.
"I've never really
liked the term "snowbirds" It's an innocent enough word when
put down on paper. It can be hurtful, however, when it's
spoken out loud. For example: "The snowbirds are back,"
someone will say with a sneer in his voice and then launch
into a lengthy complaint about clogged streets and long
lines at the grocery store. "The snowbirds are back,"
someone else will say with a world-weary sigh and then start
complaining about people who only come to Southwest Florida
to get away from sub-zero temperatures in Cleveland, Toronto
and Boston."
What about us snowb... oops, winter
residents from Wisconsin, it is hurtful to be not even
mentioned in the article while Cleveland is mentioned. After
all it is more likely to be below zero in Wisconsin than
Cleveland. Mr. Billington does not explain how the lines at Publix or
traffic volume would be smaller if the term winter resident
is used. One of the biggest lines at Publix is in front of
the scale, at the entrance. This is a big industrial scale
with a large round dial and handle bars on the side. It
seems that the old folks here in Florida are very weight
conscious.
We will continue to use "snowbirds," "winter
resident" is too clinical. It sounds too much like the
people living in hospices. Snowbird is more lyrical and
romantic, it signifies freedom of travel, adventure and
exploration.
We certainly are having a wonderful time so
far with great weather and many friends and relatives coming to
visit. With the warm temperature we are able to bike or walk almost
every day for exercise. Just finished biking the total
length of Sanibel and Captiva islands 38.5 miles going and
coming back.
Leaving For Florida. 1/14/2009
Because of global warming we must depart to
Florida, cold is the new warm. "The relatively chilly
temperatures compared with recent years are not evidence
that global warming is slowing however, absolutely not,"
said Dr Peter Stott, the manager of understanding and
attributing climate change at the Met office's Hadley Center
for Climate Change UK. The temperature
as we drove off, 8:30 AM, was 8 degrees below
zero. It was
so cold
even the turkeys left.
We left the town of Grafton planning two
stops; the first in Louisville, the second in Atlanta. In
Atlanta we had dinner with our old friends Ed and
Cheryl Abrams and also celebrated Margaret's birthday. After
leaving Atlanta the temperature started to slowly rise. In
Louisville I literally froze my ears putting gas in the car.
As we drove further south the outdoor temperature monitor in
the car kept rising and as we reached our house in Punta
Gorda the temperature was a comfortable 68 degrees.
Florida, as Stephen King called it in his
book Duma Key, is the waiting room for God's door, or the
newly wed and nearly dead. Punta Gorda, Fat Point in
Spanish, is located where the Peace River meets Charlotte
Harbor and dates back to the landing of Ponce de Leon in
1513. Elevation is only 61 ft.
