Jan 23: Sunny Showoff

Something about the sunshine makes us want to show off. South Florida is packed with the flashy - people, animal, plants. I see it all the time but this struck me again yesterday when I was at the beach. I watched an attractive young couple, probably in their early 20s, as they stepped on to the sand. They weren't going swimming, just taking a stroll in their shorts and t-shirts. The moment the guy took a few strides up the beach, he peeled out of his shirt to show off a physique I can only dream about having. Who could blame him? Then there are the joggers who very clearly make an effort to display their best bodily attributes to the world. You'll see lots of these folks up and down A1A.

The girl in the bare midriff top that reveals her great abs, the dude in the tight cycling shorts that encase his impressive backside, etc. etc. Or maybe they're showing off some talent - the rollerbladers who skate tight loops across the street from a crowded café, the sprinters who seem to only run at top speed ... at least whenever they're passing onlookers.

It's all amusing to me, the way human beings strive to be admired one way or another. But the sunny, warm South Florida climate encourages these more obvious forms of self-promotion. When you don't have to wear a lot of clothes, new opportunities present themselves. Even our animals and plants are pretty darned showy. How many places in the world have wild parrots with brilliant green feathers, birds that constantly squawk for attention when they fly? Or acrobatic squirrels? I'm not kidding about this. I've watched our thin little South Florida squirrels make heroic leaps from one tree to another at heights of at least 30 feet, covering a span of maybe 12 feet from branch to branch. Hey, it sure got my attention. As for the plants, whoa. Just take a good look around. The other day I walked by a bougainvillea that was enormous, all bursting in fuchsia blossoms. This plant must have been some seven or eight yards wide - spectacular. Just down the street from this shrub was more bougainvillea, smaller but equally colorful plants in purples and pinks. Greater Fort Lauderdale is a tropical place of flowering jacaranda and backyard bananas and huge coconuts, showoffs all. The flash is a real part of the South Florida experience ... and why not? As the saying goes, if you've got it, flaunt it.