When Dave first started flying into the Orlando International Airport, he was amazed at the amount of water a person can see when the plane first breaks through the clouds. And that's saying something for a man who was coming from the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
Florida is a tourist destination. And possibly the biggest draw is our water. Lakes, rivers, pools, parks, resorts - we have them. So come on down and enjoy our beautiful water.
But please be sure that you and your kids can swim. As columnist Beth Kassab tells us, "Drowning is the number 1 killer of young children in Florida. And Florida has the terrible distinction of leading the country in drowning deaths." What can be even worse is the near drowning. Children and adults who survive but never wake up.
There was a scary article in the paper this week about what a quiet death drowning is. There are no arms flailing or voices screaming. We pretty much just go under - and we're done.
I almost drowned once when I was a kid. How was it? I remember it being quite pleasant. I was lulling around on the bottom of a lake in Indiana when I looked ahead and saw my uncle swimming toward me. I wondered what he was doing in the lake with his clothes on and things like coins and cigarettes streaming out of his pockets.
So please come visit us and our abundant water venues. But learn to swim first.
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