Flat Stanley in South Florida
By Jim Loftin
Author's Note: My mother received a request to help one of her great grandchildren with his class project by writing a letter describing a visit from the children's book character Flat Stanley. She asked me for a little assistance and this is what "we" came up with. Reputedly it was a big hit with Mrs. Miller's class.
When Flat Stanley arrived down here in south Florida, he looked a bit tired and frazzled. Being an official great grandmother, it is part of my job to be concerned about such things, so I asked him what was the matter. He rolled his eyes and let out a big sigh; then he answered my question.
"Jeez Louise," he said, "there was SO much traffic on the Internet, and I got routed through a bunch of switching terminals—Chicago, Toronto, Atlanta, Tallahassee—I thought I'd never get to Plantation. And to make matters worse, I was booked on a huge GIF that took a ... very ... long ... time to download."
He paused for a moment, and then his trademark hundred-dollar smile flashed to life.
"But I'm here now, that's the main thing," he continued, winking as he spoke. "I'll be all right ... after I've had a glass of that fresh Florida orange juice I've heard so much about, that is."
Sure enough, a tall icy glass of O.J. fixed him right up. Before long he was his old chipper self, talking a mile a minute about what he'd been doing back home and what he wanted do while in Florida.
A little while later, during a lull in the conversation, I asked Flat (that's what he likes me to call him) if he had any clothes with him that were a little more casual than the long-sleeved shirt, tie and slacks he was wearing.
"In case you didn't know it, south Florida has a semitropical climate and is quite famous for its beaches," I informed him, trying my best not to sound too much like a smarty-pants. "If you go around dressed like that, people are going to think there's something wrong with you."
"Yes," he said, "as a matter of fact I am aware of those things, and I did bring some appropriate clothes."
Then he picked up his suitcase and went into the spare bedroom. When he returned he was wearing shorts, sandals and a "Life's a Beach" t-shirt. In one hand was a bottle of sunscreen and in the other a pair of sunglasses.
"Let's go to the beach!" he said enthusiastically. "I AM READY!"
As we drove along highway A1A in Fort Lauderdale, Flat admitted to me that he had never seen the ocean before. By the way his mouth hung open as he stared at the spectacular panorama of blue-green water and white sand, I would have guessed as much if he hadn't told me.
I took him to a secluded public beach near Dania. It is about a two-mile narrow strip of sand dotted with thatched-roofed cabanas that give you the illusion of being on a remote tropical island. Flat really enjoyed playing in the surf, and walking along the shoreline looking for seashells and checking out all the things that had washed ashore with the tide. By the time we left, he had a coffee can full of shells and several very nice pieces of driftwood to take home with him as mementos of his trip. Flat liked going to the beach a lot, so we went back several times during his visit.
On one of the days we didn't go there, I took him to a very special Florida attraction called Butterfly World. This is a really fun place to visit. It has an artificial tropical rain forest in which colorful and exotic butterflies flutter about and commonly alight on or near the park's visitors as they wander along the garden paths. Several times we each had butterflies land on our shoulders, and once one even came to rest on Flat's nose.
The designers of the park have planted a variety of flowers and plants that are attractive to particular butterflies, in both their adult and caterpillar stages. In fact, classes in butterfly gardening are conducted every few weeks for anyone who is interested in making their garden butterfly friendly. The facility also has botanical gardens, a museum and a gift shop full of butterfly stuff. Naturally Flat picked up some souvenirs from the gift shop for his friends and relatives at home.
Alas, finally it was time for Flat to go home. Although he wouldn't say as much, I think he was getting a little homesick. I helped him pack his suitcase, which was a bit of a challenge because of all the extra stuff he was taking back with him. As I watched him preparing to leave, I noted to myself how much he had gone "native." Gone was the slicked-down hair and Middle America attire. Sun-bleached hair peeked out from under a Miami Dolphins cap that rested at a rakish angle atop his head. He sported a magenta tank top, lime-green shorts and tennis shoes without socks. I wondered idly whether I'd be receiving a snippy note from his mother for "corrupting" her little angel.
"Thanks for everything, C.M. (short for cool mom, a nickname bestowed upon me by my kids when I went online at the age of 77)," Flat said, climbing up into my strawberry-colored iMac.
"It was my pleasure, Flat. Give my love to everyone in Missouri," I replied, as I clicked on the send button and watched him head off down the Internet on his way home.
'Boy, I wish I could travel like that. I guess there are some advantages to being an imaginary person,' I thought to myself after he had gone.
Indeed there are!
—CM
Vanity Press Series - Flat Stanley in South Florida
easyfuncandlebiz.com homeandcareers.com
ocnsignal.com walking101.com wicksworks.com