Recently trucked on down to St. Petersburg Florida for Labor Day, after which my son embarked on his senior year. Dinner one night, a Rays game the next. For the senior year kick-off dinner out, Jude recommended a great vegan place in Gulfport called “Golden Dinosaurs” and met me there after a day at the beach with his girlfriend. Appropo, it reminded me of his birthday parties at Dinoworld, back in the day, when T Rex and Diplodocus ruled the day. Of course, I treated “the kids,” as my mom would’ve called them.
It was pretty hot still, and Gulfport emanated a semi-key-west hippie vibe, as I strolled around a bit on my own beforehand. It felt like a place where people worked to slow time down, certainly one of the keys to happiness. Saw an elderly couple ride by, pedaling away, the man in lead, his bike rigged with a cage strapped to the back so their canine pal could sit, enjoy, and experience the wind in his fur. Stopped in a funky souvenir shop and bought vintage postcards to send to friends in various places, because one can’t put an Instagram post on the refrigerator. Smelled the sea drifting in from the ocean. Of course I heard a Jimmy Buffett song from somewhere in the distance. Whatever you think, he made a lot of people happy. Dinner was nice, but a week later my son and his girlfriend broke up, so since then, everything has already changed. Happy to say, though, that he’s doing fine and I look forward to seeing him again, for his birthday. Think I’ll pack a Travis McGee novel I haven’t read, for that trip, because he’s graduating in May.
Doug Hoekstra 