A sign of Old Florida – and today’s Florida, too!
Nosferattus
To the naive foreigner, the Sunshine State is one big finger island.
With an economy built on tourism and not much else, it makes sense that outsiders would come to think of our state like the manufactured land so many people stay on when they visit. The truth is that Florida is a swamp, and Gulfport reminds us of that.
Our low tide (not the Kava bar) smells like Old Florida. Our oak trees fill in the sky where our state’s various palms (of which only 12 are native) generally shade pool-goers. The environment in Gulfport constantly reminds us that we are visitors in a land unintended for luxury; I mean, just look at the critters.
The pest control companies work overtime in Gulfport to fight off cat-sized rats and rat-sized roaches, and I sincerely apologize to the thousands of lizards who met their fate from our double-wide bicycle tires and two-strap sandals. I do not, however, apologize to the prehistoric swarms of biting insects that convinced one local to dub Gulfport his “own private mosquito-ho.”
But we love this town nonetheless, and I even like it for the same reasons I overpay my Orkin service: We’re forced to connect with the land we live on.
My everyday life couldn’t be more different from the first settlers in this region. Where Gulfport’s first inhabitants Davy Crockett-ed their dinners out of raccoons and mullet, I’m ordering Cuban sandwiches from an app on my phone. However, I know for a fact that ancient Gulfportians were swatting at mosquitoes just like I am while writing this.
Even when you’re driving through our town’s most “luxurious” areas you can spot a shack or two, which is a stark difference compared to places like Tierra Verde. We may have to catch a bug or a lizard trespassing in our homes every now and then, but I’ve never heard of someone eradicating an HOA infestation.
These rough edges bring us back to a time when Florida was twice as inhospitable as it is now, and having this perspective makes me appreciate this place so much more.
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