Change.....
Kind of ironic..... the one thing most people have a problem with as they age, is "change". So, we retire, move to an area with all these amenities "promised", expecting it to never change.
The first restaurant I visited in the Villages, in the late 90's, was Silver Lake. It was a great restaurant on the historic side. Really good food. Whoops.... closed.
Next was Chula Vista. We ate there several times a week, food was great. Dancing nightly, ballroom type and good dancers. Whoops, closed.
Big draw for prospective buyers.... the indoor heated pool at the Sharon Morse building, great for aging bones, lol. Whoops, closed..... needed more office space???
Little restaurant in Santiago, at golf course, Jimmy Buffett style entertainment... great food, lively crowd,always jammed.... Whoops, closed.
Katie Bell's experienced many changes during its time in an effort to keep it going. I never really cared for the place, didn't spend much time there, but many people did. But, in the end..... another whoops.
Hacienda Hills CC restaurant, more upscale (?) for TV... dress code, shirts, ties, etc. Then, more relaxed (no dress code), Very popular place for dining and dancing.... Whoops, closed.
The Church on the Square... then changed to The Sharon.... what's next there?
Savannah Center used to be very popular for entertainment, think most of that moved to The Sharon.
Tierra Del Sol, thank goodness has survived, though many changes with same, but thank goodness they did not close that one.
Yes, I do understand that change is inevitable but that does not mean I have to like it much. All the things that drew those of us here in the 1990s, early 2000s, have gone slowly by the wayside. As many of us have, who moved here back then.
What I do understand is that the age group that is looking at The Villages now is far removed from what our age group was looking for. And I believe the "family" is well aware of this, as they are in that age group, and going forward will be catering to a much different outlook and lifestyle.
We have a choice.... embrace it and go with the flow or reject it, lay back, relax and relive the memories of "the good old days". At 84.... I choose to lay back and relax and enjoy whatever time I have left rather than get all worked up over something I have no control over.
|