Utopia

H. Gary Morse, R.I.P.

Gary Morse, the developer of The Villages, passed away last week. Several newspaper obituaries referred to the result of his lifetime work as a "Senior Utopia". Here's a quote from ABC News:  (The Villages) is unmatched in both the breadth of its vision and its scale: 600 holes of golf, dozens of restaurants and stores, and so many activities — archery to scrapbooking to Spanish classes — that it almost seems like summer camp for seniors. Residents zip along in souped-up golf carts to town squares that look like Hollywood sets, downing cheap margaritas and dancing in gazebos before returning to homes that range from simple ranches under $90,000 to mansions topping $1 million.

Oh I agree, this place is Utopia. I consider it our well deserved reward for a lifetime of hard work, saving, perseverance and trying to do the "right thing". But it's not the number of golf holes, the nightly live entertainment or the relatively inexpensive cost of living (at least compared to our previous lives in Chicago and South Florida). It's not even the fact that my calendar is already filled with fun things to do and a thick weekly "recreation guide" offers even more.

Nope, my Utopia is great because it is filled with people who (apparently) like us. A friend who checked the next day to see how I was when I had to cancel dinner out and services. Neighbors who call to see if I'd like to go to a movie or join them in an impromptu event. Friends who pick up a tchatchke for me that they think I'll like. People who wave at us as we pass their homes in our golf cart. I think I could knock on any neighbor's door for help if it was ever needed.

That's my Utopia. Thank you Gary Morse for making it all happen for us and for the thousands of other "happy campers" in The Villages.

;-)