There’s a joke, somewhat adapted for the area, that seems to fit these days…
Q: How many Conchs (or Conch wannabes) does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Three. One to change the bulb, one to mix the margaritas, and one to complain that the new light bulb just isn’t the same as the old one.
That joke goes hand in hand with this theory I have about people and the Keys — if they could, most people would turn the clocks and calendars back to the day and time that they first got here. Everything was better then, it was more quaint/outlaw/Keysy, there were fewer chain stores/tourists/developers, there were more 24-hour bars/square groupers/affordable homes. Let’s not forget that we were all younger then, too. No need to argue — it was just so much better in those days gone by.
Or was it? Just as the passage of time makes the past seem better than it probably was, not all of the changes have been bad (Sombrero Beach, Marathon Community Park, Boot Key Harbor, local wastewater and stormwater treatment). And most certainly, not everything that has stayed the same is good.
Perhaps it’s time that we as a community stopped all this complaining about how things were better back then and try to work together to make things better now and for the future. Cry all you want about the old days, but they’re not coming back. It’s a new day, time for new approaches to our issues (especially affordable housing and insurance costs), time to let the past pass.
Growth restrictions, economic downturns, circumstances, and speculations gone wrong left Marathon with some obviously blighted properties over the years. The old Longhorn Lodge property remains as just a vacant overgrown lot. The old Orion/Iberiabank building is waiting for its next incarnation. But the good thing is that as time goes by, these blighted properties are being razed and rebuilt. Take, for example, the Salty’s/Seven Mile Marina — this is going to be the fantastic new Pigeon Key headquarters and trolley stop.
Anyone who remembers the old Buccaneer Lodge, and believes that decaying property was better and more aesthetically pleasing than the current Tranquility Bay Resort, has a strange sense of perception.
Where is it written that we have to live among decay and disrepair? We live in a beautiful tropical island paradise, surrounded by a wondrous marine ecosystem. Why is it wrong to want to make things better, improve aging properties, preserve and protect our nearshore waters, make our streets look nice and actually make it a beautiful tropical island paradise?
On social media, people complain incessantly. About everything. Including false accusations and statements based on gross ignorance of actual facts. People really believe that our local elected officials are taking bribes to pass development projects, and that certain city and county departments are “corrupt.” The fact is that there is so much scrutiny over any proposed project, from conception through completion. Anyone actually paying close attention would know that Florida statutes and Critical Concern legislation regulate every bit of development and redevelopment down here. Local governments can’t just do whatever they want. And regardless of what some are saying on social media, the City of Marathon has complied with every regulation in our LDRs and Comprehensive Plan.
Any time I go to Sombrero Beach, our City Hall and parks, the new Faro Blanco or Courtyard Marathon or Isla Bella, I don’t mourn the passing of something old (with the possible exception of Kelsey’s Restaurant, Angler’s Lounge, Krista’s peanut butter pie and that Quayburger!). I see a bright future still ahead.
Let’s start looking toward that future instead of mourning a past that will never come again. Let’s all just take a look around, see how things can be made better, and make our island home the best it can be. And this election, support candidates who want to work toward a better future, not those who get bogged down in the past.
– John Bartus is a singer/songwriter and the Mayor of the City of Marathon. Catch John each Monday at Boondocks, Tuesdays and Wednesdays at the Key Colony Inn, and Thursdays at Sparky’s Landing. Find his music anywhere you download or stream your music. www.johnbartus.com
