Oh how horrible an experience. I cannot imagine hearing our sacrosanct pentagon exploding. My heart goes to you for that experience. Airplanes were banned from flying over for a while (I don’t remember how long). When they resumed, I remember lying in bed in fear. The weather was still lovely in late September by then and the windows were open. You could hear the drone and more than once I cried. Perhaps we are affected more than we realize. Stay safe.

Perhaps they mean well and don't realize they're being cruel. They're concerned enough to offer a suggestion, they just don't realize it's exposing a scarcity of imagination and compassion. It's the easy solution because they're unable to think of anything else, God love 'em. It's like my silly friends used to say back when we were younger and the US was having trouble with another country, they'd say "just nuke 'em." Now that's helpful!

You’re kind. I think it’s more of a “I’m happy and it’s impossible you’re not so get out of my world”. Perhaps I’m just a bit thin skinned from hearing it. Probably me. I do remember that phrase and admit to having said once or twice. LOL.

I'm another non-activity person; never even bothered to buy a golf cart. But I appreciate the care and expense that goes into maintaining the grounds and facilities and don't begrudge what I think is a fairly low amenities fee.

I moved here specifically to be close to my sister, who's the true believer and social butterfly. I'm content and like The Villages just fine, but it's not someplace I would have chosen on my own.

I don’t own a golf cart either. I like a/c in my car in the summer and going more than 20 MPH. I agree that the place is well maintained and find the amenities fee pretty low. I like my house and my puppy and I are good.

I know, right? No place is perfect, but here if you make even one realistic observation that isn't all sunshine, unicorns and rainbows, you get the "if you don't like it, move" from a LOT of people. It's mean and I get so tired of it. Mean people just suck.
We adapt, we adjust, we make the best of it and that really is okay. As long as I can stay indoors, it's all good. I literally burn to a crisp even on a completely cloudy day. LOL
Be well and stay safe. :)

Yeah I was pretty taken aback when I posted that I only moved to the Villages because hubby said he'd miss me if I didn't go with him. People jumped on me, making me feel defensive, and I had to explain myself over and over again and people kept saying "oh just move" and I"m like - I'm in a place I don't like, and I'm not in a position to leave it. So bugger off.

I continue to maintain that I think the bulk of the Villages might as well be Stepford, perfectly manicured green lawns made out of what in the north is considered a weed that destroys actual grass lawns are hideous, and a bunch of old people doing the Electric Slide to rock and roll should be arrested for violating the laws of music and hog the dance floor so normal people can't move around, and that Florida sucks.

However - if the Villages were in New Mexico, or even West Virginia where you'd see pine forests instead of Crayola Primary Green astro-turf where grass normally goes, I'd be okay with it.

Mostly I just hate Florida and wish the Villages was somewhere else.

When citizens felt the Vietnam conflict was unjust, did they do something about it or move? When women didn't have the right to vote, did they do something about it or move? When black people were discriminated against, did they do something about it or move? When mixed races were denied the right to marry until 1967, did they do something about it or move?

I hear you. That day was a tragedy for all of America, but for those of us from the NYC area it impacted us in a way that non-New Yorkers can't understand.

I was taking a break in the physicians lounge and someone said turn on the TV, a plane hit the towers. I remember looking at the first tower burning and thinking that it didn't look like a small plane, but couldn't imagine a commercial airliner getting that far off course. Then I saw the second tower hit in real time and my heart sank as it was instantly clear this was intentional. Then the pentagon, and the uncertainty of where flight 93 was headed.

I graduated from a small high school with 99 in my class, everyone knew each other, two of them died that day, One a trader for Cantor Fitzgerald and the other a NYC firefighter. My son was in the air from Phoenix to Boston over Indiana when the order to ground all flights came. My brother would do business at the WTC once a week and my nephew worked nearby---all phone circuits were busy and there was no way to check on them. One of our bridesmaid's father worked in the #7 building, and was almost hit by a jumper as they evacuated the building, he was never the same again. When I was in school, my roommate's friend was a trader on the commodities floor, I even got to wear a smock and badge and stand right in the middle of the action one time, and had dinner at Windows on the World several times. Fortunately, that trader was still on the train headed to work. My friend Mark had just married an executive with Quantas, and was going to accompany her to a conference in LA, from their home in Boston. At the last minute she told him the schedule changed and she would be in meetings 10 hours a day, so why doesn't he drop me off at Logan and then drive to Auburn to see his niece. He was halfway down the Mass Pike when the radio announced what happened and the flight number. You could find him every night in the last seat at the bar at our country club.

Twenty years later, and it is still hard to recount this story. I hope this epidemic doesn't have the same effect on people as 9/11.

This reminds me of the gradual restrictions that were imposed on smokers, NOT IN MY SPACE, be considerate of your fellow man, period.

OBB, for someone who dislikes TV and Florida, I commend your keeping a positive attitude about it and making lemonade from lemons rather than filling this forum with venom...latest post notwithstanding. You and I agree it’s like Stepford. I’d say a perfect blend of Stepford and the Truman show. As for line dancing to rock, we all have different triggers, and for some reason that doesn’t bother me. I guess I’ve always had a fondness for the cheesy, and TV fulfills that desire admirably.

Wow, what a thread!

Line dancing to Led Zeppelin is a massive offense on a visceral level. But also from the perspective of general intelligence. To me, it's like having a peanutbutter, spam, mango chutney, and kalamata olives with chocolate syrup and mayo in a lettuce wrap. Just don't do it. Seriously. Don't.

EDITED TO ADD: line dancing to line dance music doesn't bother me AT ALL and in fact I am one of the first ones to jump up and dance to the Electric Slide.

Normality evolves. If it didn't, living in caves would be normal.

There are many mean people here. Being human, when attacked, I attack back. I don’t like that trait in me but after a while, defending oneself becomes second nature. The problem is that I should not have to defend myself for not conforming. Ah well. Have a good one.

I agree, if you don't know how many people had the virus the number of deaths may be in line with the usual viruses that afflict us.