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Sometimes a stranger’s opinion can help us to see things more clearly. A fresh perspective from outside often shifts the focus on what we do for work or what kind of home we have. Or on what part of the world we live in. We look through the stranger’s eyes and recognize good qualities we may have missed before. That happened to me last weekend when I was at a wonderful party thrown by a Swedish friend. Called a 20th Day Knut party, this celebration marks the traditional end of the holiday season in Sweden. The food was amazing – everything from salmon and homemade Swedish meatballs to dense, delicious Swedish cakes. It was at my friend’s home that I met Kenneth and Eva, a couple visiting from southern Sweden. I enjoyed them a lot. And I found that their comments helped me to appreciate South Florida even more than I already do.
There we were on January 12, sitting around a backyard tiki bar and putt-putt golf course. (Yep, my friend has a very cool home.) I’d already enjoyed a special tropical cocktail mixed by our host but, since I had to drive, was sipping plain Coke by now. Kenneth and Eva were in lawn chairs beside an outdoor coffee table, smiling a lot.
These folks must have been in their 50s and this was their first trip to the United States. They thought they had landed in heaven. “Look at this!” Kenneth enthused, his arms waving toward the palm trees and clear night sky. “In January! I could get used to living like this! It is an amazing thing!” Eva was equally excited. “It must be wonderful to live here. To have summer all the time! I think I would like it very much!” The couple had called friends back home that day and were delighted to discover that it had snowed. “Then I was able to say to them on the phone, ‘You keep all that snow! I am in Florida in the sunshine!’ I loved making this phone call!” Kenneth laughed at this and so did Eva. They seemed to be having the time of their life. As we chatted, I could see what Fort Lauderdale meant to them. From their vantage point, it really was a paradise. And it was obvious that they didn’t want to return to Sweden any time soon. I couldn’t blame them. I was happy that I was staying right here.
There we were on January 12, sitting around a backyard tiki bar and putt-putt golf course. (Yep, my friend has a very cool home.) I’d already enjoyed a special tropical cocktail mixed by our host but, since I had to drive, was sipping plain Coke by now. Kenneth and Eva were in lawn chairs beside an outdoor coffee table, smiling a lot.
These folks must have been in their 50s and this was their first trip to the United States. They thought they had landed in heaven. “Look at this!” Kenneth enthused, his arms waving toward the palm trees and clear night sky. “In January! I could get used to living like this! It is an amazing thing!” Eva was equally excited. “It must be wonderful to live here. To have summer all the time! I think I would like it very much!” The couple had called friends back home that day and were delighted to discover that it had snowed. “Then I was able to say to them on the phone, ‘You keep all that snow! I am in Florida in the sunshine!’ I loved making this phone call!” Kenneth laughed at this and so did Eva. They seemed to be having the time of their life. As we chatted, I could see what Fort Lauderdale meant to them. From their vantage point, it really was a paradise. And it was obvious that they didn’t want to return to Sweden any time soon. I couldn’t blame them. I was happy that I was staying right here.
posted by LauderBLOGGER at 12:10 PM
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