Soon, my neighbors will be headed back to their second homes. We, in Florida, tend to call them “Snowbirds,” a term that has become somewhat offensive. They are, after all, Florida residents and pay their taxes like everyone else in the state. However, those of us left behind when they leave, tend to wish them “good riddance,” glad that the roads and beaches won’t be as crowded and that we can once again get into our favorite restaurants. Maybe, we’re just jealous!

We, in fact, should be grateful for their nomad-like  lifestyle but they can also be bad for our health. As our doctor once warned, “Don’t get caught up with the snowbirds because they see their time here as a vacation, free to party as they please.” When they move on in the summertime, complaining about the hot sun, we should welcome the break of trying to keep up with their excessive drinking. Plus, we no longer need to feed them.

I was recently asked at such a party to come up with a more positive name for these wanderers. After all, they weren’t really trying to escape the snow or even seek the sun. They just enjoyed their lake homes up north, where many of their family members lived. Admittedly, they also loved to return to see their friendly neighbors. I came up with the name, “Free Birds,” that most of them seemed to like. As retirees, they are “free” to roam the world.

I’m not a big Lynyrd Skynyrd fan, but the song and group has been a significant influence on a couple of occasions.  I can remember riding in the car with my young son, who pulled out the cassette tape and butchered the name as “Line-rad, Skine -rad.” I continue to give him a hard time, although the many “y’s” can be tricky when it comes to pronunciation. It was an endearing moment that caused me to laugh. I also did a parody of the famous Free Bird song lyrics for some other Florida neighbors around Thanksgiving time, another outburst of laughter.  See Post # 2442. I’ve included the original Free Bird lyrics below:

Free Bird