[CoachKandSportsguy]

Excellent post and fully agree!

Originally Posted by ProfessorDave

In this world of plenty - it is filled with people looking to prove they've made better decisions than you - and they want to educate you on how not to make the same mistake you've made again - even if it isn't a mistake. Makes them feel smarter about their decisions - and smarter about themselves.

Example. Due to my "weird career" - I've lived in 37 different homes. Various places. Urban. Suburban. Flat. Wooded. Hot. Cold. Reality - I've found a way to enjoy every place I've lived - adapt to what is best about it. It's lots about attitude.

Having said that - I continue to hear the challenges - both outside The Villages and inside.

My take:
1) There is not place I'd rather be. I wake up every morning thanking God we found this place by accident.

2) When somebody shares the "sex stories" - I simply share that I love that reputation - even though it is not true - because it does reinforce we are active positive people living hear. I then share "isn't that the most brilliant marketing gimmick by the Developer" - which reinforces the best place to live for people who are looking for an active life?

3) When I hear the complaints about The Developer, I sometimes even agree. In my opinion, they have demonstrated different values than prior generations. However, even with the annoyances of some of their decisions (closing Katie Belle's was STUPID - in my opinion) - there is still no place I'd rather be. I've checked many.

4) When I hear how big it has gotten - to me it is similar to living in a suburb of a city and complaining the surrounding city is getting too big. Frankly, our little section of The Villages feels about the same as it did years ago - with a little more annoying traffic a few times a day on the major roads. I'm just hoping we get big enough so that COSTCO builds a store closer.

5) Will the honeymoon wear off? Depends on your definition. After a while, we settled in more. We go to the Squares less often. We go to the Country Clubs less often. They were more "exciting" when we first moved here - and we still enjoy them. But, we found that sometimes staying home and watching a Netflix movie together is more relaxing. Analogy: when I first met the woman who became my wife, like many, the "affection" part of the relationship was "much more active" than now. New. Exciting. And fell in love. The love hasn't diminished because the more "exciting" aspects became less frequent - we just settled into our comfort zones together. After the honeymoon doesn't have to mean bad - success for me is blending into a comfort zone together.

Summary. Don't worry about defending your decision. Focus on what you like - why it was the best decision for you. Remember, it is not in other people's interest to prove to you how smart you are - it is in their personal interest to prove to themselves that they are smarter than you.

Hope that helps.