Rumors

This post is not PG.  If you’re put off by questionable topics, move on now. This is not for the faint at heart.  David and Lindsay, Mike and Kate, don’t let my grandchildren read this until they’re at least twenty-one.

Ruth and I have had a Florida home for the past eighteen years.  I was still working when we bought the first and Ruth was recently retired.  I visited on long weekends, knowing one day I’d be able to enjoy the lifestyle a warmer climate has to offer.  My goal was to totally avoid shoveling snow.  It was a simple desire, but one I’ve been able to enjoy for the past several years.

We sold and spent three winters in Palm Springs, California after four years of Florida ownership.  I was recently retired, and our two youngest, Elizabeth and Michael, had gotten married within six months of each other. They both were living in California and now, it appeared, they were staying on the West Coast.  I wanted to spend time with them, so we rented a condo for January through March in California. We enjoyed Palm Springs, and have returned several times, but we knew having a home there was not for us.  We preferred Florida and, specifically, The Villages.

The thing I like most is everyone is from somewhere else.  Everybody’s got a story, and I enjoy learning about where they’ve been and what they’ve done.

When my Michigan friends first learned of our Florida purchase, we got teased about the national reputation The Villages has garnered. While it’s called “Florida’s Friendliest Hometown” we started getting teased about its reputation for excessive drinking and sexual promiscuity.  We were told the rate of venereal disease was the highest in the country.  I did my best to ignore the accusations, and false innuendos, but did some personal research on the topic.

I’ve read a couple of books about The Villages’ lifestyle, and recently viewed a controversial documentary. It’s true you can purchase a discounted drink (half price or two for one are the most common promotions) beginning at 11:00 each morning, running through closing time, but such indulgences are optional … not required.  I’ve witnessed single men and women striking up a conversation at a local watering hole and then leaving together.  That’s an observation, not a confirmation they’ve undertaken a more personal relationship.

I was able to confirm that two consenting adults did indeed “hook-up” in the town square gazebo a few years back, but they were caught in the act and appropriately punished.  The morning joggers who connected on one of the utility boxes in The Villages were also caught and duly admonished.  Not all rumors are as they appear to be, but some are.

The last few years I’ve heard that some individuals, and perhaps couples, have developed a type of signal that suggests they are “available”.  It’s been said some attached a colored loofa to their car antenna to suggest they are open to striking up a personal relationship with others. I’ve ignored such rumors until I ran across this in a recent posting on the social media platform known as “Nextdoor”.  (I’m very confident the document has not been approved by The Villages developers.)

For those who have been waiting to see if the rumors are true, you’re welcome.  For those who remain skeptical, you’ll find dozens of loofas attached to antennas throughout the multitude of parking lots in this 137,000-person planned community.  If you’re interested in confirmation of the rumor, print a color copy of this blog, and strike up a conversation when the car owner returns to retrieve his/her ride.  Personal confirmation is a good way to learn new things.  As for me, I’ll continue to conduct my research from afar.