Nothing bad really happened. I used to say that to my kids. Nothing bad really happened. You were just scared.

There are three family friendly neighborhoods right here in the villages. I'd sure hate to be a preteen or teenager growing up here in TV.

Apparently, I'm not afraid of very much. Here's a list of things people have said they are afraid of in TV:

1. Murder
2. People drinking and driving
3. Dog poop
4. Teenagers
5. Sex offenders
6. Alligators
7. Big birds eating dogs
8. Coyotes
9. Possums
10. Neighbors
11. Men drinking and packing heat
12. Anyone who carries a gun.
13. Drivers of all sorts
14. Nails on the street (that post was mine)
15. People who don't like poop in their yards.
16. Children dancing.
17. Drug addicts.
18. Lightning.
19. Hurricanes.
20. Solicitors.
21. Everybody who doesn't live here.
22. Correction on totv by the moderator.
23. Running out of toilet paper (also mine)

Oh dear, I've hardly begun...a little help here...

Trouble in Brownwoosd. Say it isn't so!

It isn't so! You're welcome.

Welcome to TOTV. There isn't and will not be a cop on every corner. Just like where ever you came from.

You have answered your own question, we ARE an open community.........

How about:

sink holes

Tornadoes

robberies

burglaries

assaults and batteries (including overcharging golf cart batteries causing fires)

Fire ants

termites

rats

STDs

errant golf balls

not getting a desirable tee time

Train whistles/noise

sewage treatment plant odors

snakes from garden to rattlers, copperheads, water moccasins, pythons and anacondas - both in and out of toilets

The IRS issue

running out of beer

I get monthly newsletters from Ryans Erisman, from The Villages Florida Book. I bought his original booklet when I was thinking of moving here 3 years ago and automatically got signed up for the newsletter. It is a very interesting, and sometimes humorous monthly report on all things Villages...monthly sales reports, current events, progress reports, and many many things a "Villager" would be interested in. Sorry your Antivirus blocked it, but I can assure you it is not a hoax site.

What will happen after the buildout

The STD Urban Legend

Murders in other towns (not TV)

Garbage placed at the curb too early

Having my Ethers clogged with negativity (that's mine)

Add to the list:

* Contracting STDs and HIV while being celibate, or by just breathing the air in TV

My reaction to this thread...."oh.good.grief!"!!!! We don't live in a gated community...if you want that live in a Dell Webb.

Oops.....forgot the "wall".....

Isn't it time for the, problem solved or question answered

Thread is now closed???
btk

Other things to be afraid of:

A yard worker using the pool restrooms

Lovebugs in the spring

Bugs in general (this is Florida, you know)

Grandkids riding (not driving) in carts

Lovebugs in the fall

Roundabouts

Bad drivers

Snowbirds

I would understand how that could be intimidating.....
Returning to your golf cart to see strangers sitting in it.....
No matter if it was our car or a golf cart......it shouldn't be "taken over"....

In a perfect world, the parents of those teens would open up their homes and make it hospitable to their friends.......it's what we all did up here.

Teens need a place to go and be with their friends. I always felt better knowing ours were at home and their friends were always welcomed.

They would play with those early video games, watch t.v. (nothing like what it is now)......swim in the pool, etc........but at least we knew they weren't driving all over and we were at home as well.

I always kept the frig stocked with ice cream and snacks, fruit on the island, etc......they always left my kitchen clean and the great room neat......even though some stayed until 3 a.m. (during summer vacation or school breaks; not school nights). Those with summer jobs (all of them actually), would stop by after work; like from Friendlies Ice Cream parlor.... and meet up with the rest of the group.

They were good wholesome teens.....who all now are parents themselves. All graduated college and made a good life for themselves.

Same thing once they went off to college........when they'd return home, their friends were always welcome.

Kids just need a place to "go". They never had to hang out on corners or with old folks in golf cart communities.......

Good honest post. You speak for a lot of folks....

Senior.

And others not yet living here or spending a lot of time here. This whole issue is overblown. There is a police station at Brownwood. The square is not that big.

How in the world did we leap to all of these fears? How did guns come up or a reference to Trayvon Martin?


The sky is NOT falling. The sky is NOT falling.

EXCELLENT POST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When some people read various other posters' thoughts, they totally misconstrue what that person is trying to say.

It's a common thing on TOTV to blame someone for simply expressing their personal opinion. A sense of fear is a personal reality.

How you would see the situation is exactly how we would see the situation.
It would be intimidating to us, at our age, to experience things like that.

We LOVE CHILDREN. We have enjoyed our own teenaged grand daughter's vitality and energy......ditto for our own teens, many moons ago. We love the little ones too. Our grandson is now turning 12 and will be a teen before you know it.......we love all five of our grandchildren and know they would love to visit us in The Villages.......but also know they would NOT be running wild in the town square..........disrespecting people's personal property.

The ones who were mentioned at the beginning of this thread did seem to be up to no good......

P.S. Does anyone seem to sense a "damned if you do and damned if you don't" type atmosphere???
If you LOVE children.......then there are the disgruntled meanies who do not like children in TV.
If you don't like certain "actions" of "children", then you are the meanie....and you are profiling them.
It doesn't matter if they are green (Martians), blue (colloidial silver) , white, black, red, or any other color.......it's their ACTIONS that speak the loudest.

That a girl Gracie!!!!!!!

I believe you.

As someone else said, go with your intuition and gut feelings.

DENIAL is not just a river in Egypt
 

Great list !!!!!!!

Add to that "disappearing advertisement on TOTV" which listed a nice retreat including photos of a motel room with a pole dancing set up across from the bed. Very nice lawn chairs outside on a pebbled area.
No place I'd want to stay. But apparently, that advertiser thought he could generate some business.

This was a paid ad on TOTV where you log on. After a few folks saw it, it was taken down. Just a bit of "levity" here..........

But you can see what type of folks might hang out at TV, whether they actually live there or not........whether they actually have teens or not and whether they actually cook meth or not......

For many who have been contemplating relocation to TV, all of the DENIAL only makes them wonder if there is some truth to all of this stuff.

DENIAL is not just a river in Egypt.

What we saw on the surface was absolutely beautiful. We felt safe.

However............there is apparently another lifestyle going on, than the one that is advertised so well by the marketing department.

Also, TV is surrounded by other towns that may have questionable type people......like all towns in America have.
There, I had to put a little disclaimer. Do not the residents of TV live in "the real world".....

I'm going to order a subscription myself.......

I certainly did not bring up Trayvon Martin. Or guns.

I also clarified that I personally felt safe when we were there.
That doesn't change what other things have occurred while I was not there.

Having my Ethers clogged with negativity
You said it, Patty...some people drag everybody down.

It think my point is to read every post and every thing before we respond to a part of a post that is really off topic.

When you live in a place, 24/7 you have a much better feel for the climate and the happenings and you have trusted people who tell you things. You also learn not to trust forums such as this with isolated posts by people that you have not gotten a "feel" for.

People bring with them to this place the level of fear and preparedness that they needed in the place from which they moved. People who do not live here do not know by driving the distances all of the time what is near and what is not so near. NO one is completely safe ever and should use common sense but this place is as safe as it gets...at this time. It may change.

It is very hard to realize just what this place is really like until you live here, day after day, year after year and do not see odd or scary people walking or driving down your street. The odd ones would immediately stand out. AND are immediately reported, because they are few and far between.

You know about where you live, and we know about where we live. Do not trust anonymous people until you get a "feel" for them.

:BigApplause::BigApplause:

Good advice.....but believe it or not.........I was told by many, early on, via private messages........who to trust and who not to trust.

I choose to go with my own intuition......

And again, you are correct that "no one is safe ever" and "should use common sense"......totally agree with that.

With society changing so much since we were all young.......in more ways than one.........I just don't understand the denial so prevalent and against newspapers printing what is really going on in Florida and in towns just outside "The Bubble". Denial isn't going to make it go away.

I don't really know ANYONE , myself included, who lives in FEAR, as another poster mentioned.

Can't build a "DOME" around The Villages, like Stephen King's thriller.

It's not gated; anyone can get in whenever they choose. If the local youth are so rambunctious, we...the elders....couldn't defend ourselves against them "if" they ever chose to really sow their oats. It happens.

With drugs rampant and so many addicted, not in their "right minds", home invasions all over ...are on the increase. They need money to fund their habits. Times have changed. Society has changed.

I also can understand the posts of those saying they thought they'd be moving to a retirement community of like minded souls. Not quite.

Standards of behavior
 

I was a high school teacher for over 30 years and have dealt with many different kinds of teenagers. I found that they needed to know what they could get away with and what they couldn't I think this very relevant in our town squares. If the police feel they can only enforce laws, then there needs to be personnel in the town squares that will enforce standards of behavior. We have a right to say that running around the town is not appropriate behavior. The same is true about touching something, such as the sales office door, that doesn't belong to you is not appropriate behavior. People who can not follow basic standards of behavior are not welcome in our town squares.

I think it is essential that we deal with this situation because my experience is that it doesn't go away unless you do something.

Excellent post. There's no doubt that TV is a wonderful place to live. However, it's good to be realistic.

Now, I could be wrong, but I thought Kitty's initial list was generated by SARCASM (and maybe a touch of disgust).

What is the other lifestyle you keep bringing up? Something about pole dancing, never saw it, but just so you know, a lot of those ads are automatically placed based upon your browser history. If you find sexually suggestive material offensive all you have to do is stop googling sexual material.

Reality? Back in the 60-70's my friends and I would ponder that question for hours. What is reality? Why does an attorney make more money than a garbage man? (Who is really more essential). Yep, back in the day we treated our minds like amusement parks and the best we came up with... THERE IS NO REALITY, ONLY PERCEPTION.

To OP's question -- i spend a lovely evening at Brownwood last night and there were no wandering teens in sight. Just a good crowd of mostly 55+'ers as usual, enjoying good music. If you have been up north for the summer you will be amazed by the progress in building out the town center. The two villages closest to Brownwood are nearly done and will bring lots more people into the square. So don't worry, you will be able to relax and enjoy yourself.

Senior, I enjoy reading your posts and recipes and I think we have learned much about you.

Those of us on TOTV that are not constantly ringing the alarm bell are not in denial. We are the people who live in the real world here and realize that life in not perfect ANYWHERE. Most of us live as we have always lived, Utopia does not exist on earth. Anyone of us that wants to enter Spruce Creek or Stonecrest, (the gated communities) can do so at anytime, there is not a 12' fence with barbed wired atop. They have the illusion of security but can easily be accessed.

Do you honestly think your hometown in Vermont is safer than The Villages? Of course it isn't and that logic is not realistic. What makes you feel safer in your hometown is familiarity.

I'm not a teacher but I am requesting you do a little assignment today. Reread every post you have made on TOTV regarding moving to The Villages or any retirement community with the perspective that someone else posted them.

I think there's a pretty clear picture from those posts, you and your husband should really take a few years before making a move here or anywhere. Downsizing to a smaller home in Vermont and wintering away in a warmer climate may be the ticket for the two of you.

My husband and I have much family left in our original home state and they would never be happy moving away from their roots. They love to shoot out of their "bubble" for brief vacations but moving out of state for them would be unfathomable. There is no state in the union that can compare to theirs, (not even Vermont) and they recognize that fact.

This type of arrangement would allow the two of you to live in Vermont most of the year and choose the area in which to winter where you would feel safest. I don't think another permanent move to Florida is your solution, it would be like breaking off the tap roots of two strong Vermont oaks.

As for the safety in Brownwood, there is an excellent sheriff's department and if major issues do occur at some time, we feel they will be nipped in the bud promptly.

I like Patty 55's statement: "There is no reality, only perception".

You are correct about the disgust, Patty, I have learned to use the ignore button so I do not see the words of some people unless you quote them in a post. Words are powerful.

I don't know about any of those bad things in The Vilages. I DO know there are 40+ golf courses, 60+ pools, 20+ rec centers, 1000+ clubs, tennis, pickleball, bocce, shuffleboard, miles of transportation paths, music every night and churches for every interest.

I am glad before we bought, we didn't pay any attention to the 10 or so Negative Nellie's who thrive on TOTV. The other 99,990 residents seems to know the real truth.

Just my opinion. Your mileage may vary.

:pepper2::pepper2::pepper2::pepper2::pepper2:

I very much like you Peachie, for saying things so clearly and so kindly and I so hope that Senior will decide that The Villages is a wonderful place to visit frequently and for long periods of time and that she grows to feel that it is her home away from home.

Well stated!!
And a reasonable dose of common sense goes a long, LONG, LONG
way.

btk

Patty's statement "THERE IS NO REALITY, ONLY PERCEPTION." seems to me to be somewhat analogous to The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, Werner's, not Walt's.

Ben Franklin said something to the effect that while you are courting a woman keep your eyes wide open. After you marry her keep them half closed. I find that analogous to people choosing where to live, whether in retirement or otherwise. Prior to making a choice they evaluate the pluses and minuses. After they have made their decision they make their move and choose to be happy with it rather than miserable thinking about the I coulda's and the I shoulda's.

That is why once a person chooses to relocate to a particular community if they wish to obtain and maintain serenity and remain content with their decision and enjoy it's attributes they put on their rose colored glasses, draw up a comfortable chair on their lanai, sit back and relax with a glass of Kool Aid. They no longer want to dwell on the cons, only the pros for their continuing happiness and contentment. They want to look at their new life as a place in Paradise, not Purgatory. From Abe Lincoln, "Most folks are as happy as they choose to be."

I still don't understand the connection with Brownwood and Wildwood? It's not like Brownwood is right next to a large downtown urban area. If there are 'kids' hanging around they sure as heck aren't walking there. They could (and are sometimes) easily be in LSL or SS as well as Brownwood.

Golf clubs get stolen from the back of carts everywhere in TV at some points. Don't leave them unprotected anywhere or face the possibility of losing them.

I see the Wildwood 'issue' as one of racism and elitism. I hate both attitudes equally. Unfounded fear of those that might be different than you.

Why would Wannabes buy and subscribe to and believe like gospel everything published by a guy who doesn't even live here (Erisman)???

Just the title of that article, "Wild, Wild West" told me he was gossiping and sensationalizing.

And what's REALLY laughable is for somebody whose mailing address is Daytona Beach (it is on his web page) to be printing horror stories about KIDS on the prowl!

As for TV and its society that includes kids and educates 2000 of them in the public charter scools here in TV.....I think we who live here know quite a bit more than those who do not. We have never let our guard down about crime potential. TV is not crime free but it is safer than most places simply beacause most adults are retired and are out talking to neighbors every day, and most of us have a neighborhood email and phone list we can use to notify neighbors immediately if we see something suspicious. Our neighbors call or text or email us immediately and we do the same. That is what a "Hometown" atmosphere is!

Being PRESENT is a distinct advantage over those who are not, in forming an opinion about this place!

Also, nobody has mentioned the fact that at Brownwood during the bands nightly, there are CDD event staff workers monitoring in their blue uniform shirts at each entrance to the dance floor and by the bar line. Surely they are there to monitor behavior of kids as well as adults. And the police are there too.

over 10,000 hits......:icon_bored::popcorn::popcorn: