Signs of Home

Occasionally, I have written in my blog about how much the area around here reminds me of Florida. Via a strange series of connections, that was hammered home recently with a vengeance. Recently, not only did the plant life remind me of Florida, but so did the clothing that I saw in the park. It was particularly nice and sunny on the weekend and I was riding through Bushy Park is I am wont to do when the weather is nice. As I was riding the path through the eastern meadow where the oaks and willows really make it look like the pastures around Wildwood or Ocala, my mind played a trick on me.

Had I really just seen what I thought I had? I doubled back by taking a side path around a small copse and there it was, unmistakable this time, a tee-shirt from my alma mater! It certainly looked like it fit into the surrounding and I had to remind myself that I was a few thousand miles from home. Nope, there was no mistaking that Pegasus logo. It definitely was...

“UCF?” I asked indicating his shirt.

“Excuse me?” He said looking a bit puzzled.

Yeah, I guess I had been a bit too economical with the language of my question. “Excuse me,” I corrected my earlier question. “is that a UCF Tee-Shirt?”

He paused a moment looking confused, I pressed on. “I’m sorry, it’s just that I am a graduate of the University of Central Florida and I could have sworn that symbol is the logo for UCF. It looks like the Pegasus the university adopted just before I went there.”

“Ah!” he replied immediately looking less confused. “Yes, it is! My wife and I vacation in Central Florida every winter and I bough this at one of your school’s football games that our friends there took us to.”

“Oh! Wow! I knew that I recognized that logo! I’m sorry to have bothered you, but I have been living over here about a year now, and it just amazes me to keep being reminded of home.” I said. “I mean, look at this... this park in places, reminds me of home!”

“You should see the tropical glen over in the woodlands garden if you want to get really homesick for Florida.” He said.

“I’ve seen it! That little stream running through it reminds me of Juniper Creek!”

We chatted briefly and then parted. “Sorry to have interrupted you walk,” I said as we parted “I just had to say hi when I saw the UCF Tee. Thanks for saying Hi!” It was a chance meeting and I am glad that I had it... it is always good to think of home.

I hope wherever your travels take you today, you’re never so far that you don’t have thoughts of home!

Don Bergquist - 01 November 2006 - Thames Ditton, Surrey, UK