[BK001]

Ok - I jumped off my soapbox too soon ...

Further evidence, of The Villages still being "the friendliest hometown", is the fact that we repeatedly encourage newcomers and prospective buyers to go out to the squares, talk to people, ask them about the villages. We tell them that if they are lost, just whip out a map and expect for Villagers to stop and help (and they do). Or, in my case, in a spirit of helpfulness recommend they join TOTV to get the "scoop" from real people.

Surely we would not recommend that if we thought for a moment that they were going to hear various "war stories" of ill-treatment and rude people, and bad food, greedy developers and of course the ever-present dog poop! No sane person would give that advice if they thought so -- my guess is none or few do. I think collectively we are all proud of The Villages for one reason or another.

And a short personal story:

In April 2016 we moved to The Villages so it is just over two years. I find my sense of "awe' is lessening a little. When we first got here I could not stop admiring the fact that there is no graffiti, that people do smile and wave, that the flowers up and down 466 are beautiful, etc., etc., etc. But like I've heard about people who live with a beautiful sunset view, eventually they get used to it and it just simply stops registering on an emotional level. It's not the environment that has changed. But the participants in that environment. I've come to expect that my expectations are fulfilled, and, for the most part, they are. So what I will remember and feel emotionally charged about will be the exceptions.