What Growing Up in Florida Was Like

I grew up in a very tiny town in central Florida. There were mostly woods around my house. The interesting, somewhat strange thing, about where we lived was that pretty much all of my extended family on my mother’s side lived on the same 90 plus acres. My grandparents lived in a house across the pond. Then I had three sets of uncles and aunts spread across the property. My grandpa, being quite the visionary that he was, thought that it would be nice to give each of his adult children a piece of property to live on and raise their families. As children, my cousins and I were practically in paradise with all of the trees to climb and plenty of woods to tramp through. We would spend hours building forts out of pine trees and palmettos. Sometimes we would dig giant holes in the ground and cover them up with ply wood. One of my aunts had several horses so we would go on the great horseback rides, taking the horses over the railroad tracks, down long trails. There was always something to do or some great adventure to have. When the ponds were full during the rainy season we would have mud fights and go redneck surfing. Redneck surfing consisted of sitting on a pool boogie board, using a rope to tie it to the back of a four-wheeler, and hanging on for dear life as it raced through the muddy water. Many times we would canoe through the ponds to each other’s houses. The summer time was truly our favorite time of the year!

When I wasn't playing outside I was inside reading. Due to some dyslexic struggles, I could not read very well until I entered the fifth grade. Once I could read though my life dramatically changed. I loved fantasy fiction the most because I could dream about being in those dystopian worlds myself, wondering how I would survive, or what I would do if I were one of the main characters. My parents probably got frustrated with all of my constant daydreaming. Speaking of my parents, they were, and still are the most amazing people I have ever known. They made so many sacrifices for my siblings and I. As an adult, with my own family now, I realize they worked so very hard to help set us kids on the right track in life. They had made the decision to home-school us five kids pretty early on. They received a tremendous amount of flak about their conviction to keep their kids at home for their source of education. Being home-schooled was full challenges, but overall it was the best thing my parents could have done for us. I have learned more from my parents than any other people that have ever been in my life, including all of my college professors.

All five of us kids grew up just fine, socially adjusted, and all of us have obtained college degrees of various levels ranging from associate degrees all the way to a doctorate degree. I would say that we have all tasted success in life and my parents are blessed with nine grandchildren at present. My childhood could not have been better and every day I mentally, and sometimes verbally, thank my parents for raising us the way that they did. There could not be more admiration in my heart for my beloved parents who continue to work toward meeting their goals even during their retirement and empty nest phase of life. I hope to be just like them one day because they inspire me every time I see them. Honestly, I really wish that more people could have had parents as great as mine were, and are, because I have nothing but sweet memories when I reminisce about my childhood.