Displaced New Yorker tells all

My friend Roger keeps telling me I should blog, so here's my offering. I have no clue exactly where I'm headed with these writings, but I expect to give you an idea of what it's like for a born-and-bred New Yorker to be living in Florida, the state in the south that isn't really in The South: A place where out-of-state folks outnumber the natives, and Hispanics outnumber the out-of-staters. Where everyone either believes rules are meant to be broken, or there are no rules. Where Republican conservatism is rampant; where the local school system has 10th grade classes with only 52% of the students functioning at their grade level; where cell phones are used by everyone everywhere - while driving, in restaurants (in walkie-talkie mode), and all other places where it's unsafe, annoying, and discourteous to use them; where no one drives under 15 miles over the speed limit, and where widespread, ongoing road construction meands dodging orange cones and barrels everywhere (and they wonder why the accident rate is so high).

Yet there is a city - Orlando - and an area - Central Florida - with a history that began long before "The Mouse" arrived 30 years ago . . . with interesting stories to tell . . . and with wonderful places off the beaten path. These too, you will read about.

Lest you think you'll just be reading commentaries and travelogues, I'll also write about what's happening with me for those of you who may be interested. ;-)

So come along with me and read about the good, the bad, and the ugly. My SOUTHERN EXPOSURE.