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It's Official - I'm A Ruskinite

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By LOIS KINDLE

lkindle@tampatrib.com

Published: January 14, 2009

LOIS KINDLE

At the end of January, it will be a year since I moved from the sparkling metropolis of Sarasota to the rural community of Ruskin. I must admit, the decision was difficult for this mostly big-city gal. I assure you, the changes took some getting used to.

It wasn't that I had never lived in a small community before. When I was 5, my family moved to a tiny town in New York called Camillus. All I remember about that subarctic dot on the map was losing my boot in a snow drift up to the rooftops. I didn't see that boot again until April or May, and my mother was not happy.

In my early 30s, I moved to Plant City, where I had purchased an acre of land to be closer to my parents. There, I built a lovely house not far from the Branch Ranch restaurant and planned to live the idyllic life in rural America. What was I thinking?

Not long after, I was promoted to a management position in my company, which required me to commute from Plant City to Tarpon Springs for the next year and a half. Yikes! That hour-plus drive got really old, really fast. Believe me. To say I was thrilled to move on to a sales management position closer to home was an understatement, even though I'd never had a sales job before.

But being away from the city lights finally wore me down. I sold my home and moved to Sarasota when, as a news reporter, I was assigned to work in the Sun City Center-South Shore area. I loved it there. Great restaurants, not too much traffic, culture, lots to do. Ah, nirvana at last.

At least I thought so. Then I fell in love with the South Shore community, particularly Ruskin. I can't explain it, because God knows I miss those restaurants. But this place has a charm of its own, despite the gun racks on so many pickups, and the fact that I'm surrounded by Republicans at every turn. Just kidding ... not!

You know you're not in the big city anymore when you have to drive 25 miles or more to shop 'til you drop; when there's a family drive-in with "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" on its marquee; when your neighbors blast "Proud Mary" into the midnight air to celebrate New Year's; and when you drive around the community and see private drives named Fish Lips Lane. Thank God for the post office box, I say.

You know what? That's OK. Because what makes Ruskin special is its people. They are surely the warmest bunch I've ever encountered. A generous and down-home lot, they quickly make you feel like you're one of them. And you know what? I do.

I still wish we had a bookstore, indoor theatre, perhaps a Whole Foods Market. I'm sure some of those kinds of places are on their way. But like most of the people who live here, I don't want things to change too much. I treasure the natural world and hate to see things covered in concrete. To avoid that, I'll happily forgo some of the big city conveniences I used to hold dear.

As I'm about to celebrate my first year as a Ruskinite, I have to smile. I'm converted - lock, stock and barrel. In fact, I'm thinking about buying a home here, about settling down and living the idyllic life.

Lois Kindle is a reporter for The Tampa Tribune. She can be reached at (813) 865-1553.

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