Returning to Tampa Bay
Tampa, FL. We lived here for almost 15 years. Our kids went to grade school, then middle school, and graduated high school here. They played sports, danced in musicals, and performed in orchestras. Both then attended the University of Florida (Go Gators!!) Pat owned two businesses here, but most enjoyably his portrait photography business Mojo Studios. We have a lot of history here - and a lot of friends too.
I don’t know about your circumstances, but for Sandi and I, our kids were the catalysts to helping us meet people and make friends. Watching the kids swim at a swim meet? Talk to other parents. Drive kids to little league practice or music lessons? Well, you gotta wait around so talk to other parents. On the sidelines for soccer or lacrosse practices and games? You guessed it - talk to other parents.
Travel lacrosse was different. For that, you drove (or flew) to weekend-long tournaments nearly always at least three hours away from home. That meant not only talking on the sidelines during the games, but also at the restaurants in the evening and over bottles of wine (or Jack Daniels) in the hotel lobby. The kids - generally just the boys - had a great time doing what adolescent boys do together. At one point, some of the boys had the temerity to tell the Moms “you’re only friends because of us and you won’t hang out once we stop playing”. That irksome boy produced a gaggle of women now know as the “Lax Ladies” who were determined to stay friends in spike of that snot-nosed 13 year old. What, you may ask, does the “lax” stand for? While many are at an age when “lax” is often short for “Dulcolax”, in this case the “lax” is short for “lacrosse”.
Well, the kids all moved on and became men and women in their own rights. The Moms, of which Sandi is one of them, kept the Lax Ladies going meeting up regularly for dinner and/or drinks and to celebrate each others birthdays. Then Christmas Parties. Then, eventually, the hubbies were allowed to join sometimes too. What’s resulted, over the past 15 years, is a strong group of women who continue to be enjoy and deepen friendships even though some have moved to other parts of the country. Whenever we visit Tampa, the Lax Ladies get together.
We also met up with a hero - Rudy Paul and his wife Carol. We celebrated the fact that Rudy has beaten pancreatic cancer and is coming back stronger than ever. He’s a true hero and inspiration!
