No matter how many individuals appear in the pages of each edition of Keys Weekly, there are always so many more of our community members who deserve to be recognized. In an effort to shine a spotlight on more of the incredible individuals who live and work in these islands, Keys Weekly is proud to present our Neighbor of the Week feature, dedicated to celebrating a community member with each issue.
Our neighbor of the week is James Reed, who is the property manager for a local storage facility. He also manages inventory, sales, and merchandising for a local retail outlet. In his spare time he enjoys kayaking, snorkeling and riding his bicycle. Spending time outdoors on our beautiful island is his favorite thing to do.
JAMES REED
How long have you been in the Keys and what brought you here? My family and I have lived in Marathon for almost 13 years. Before that we were regular visitors. We fell in love with the island and never looked back!
What is a skill you are always learning or working on? I come from a family of musicians, but all I could ever play was the drums. My father could play almost any instrument and our son is a professional studio musician. I continue to practice learning and working on playing the bass guitar, but poorly.
If you could go back in time and change one thing, what would that be and why? Time travel would be pretty tricky. Changing history could have unforeseen consequences.
Communication: text, phone or email? Why? That’s an easy one: text messages. You always have a record of conversation and most people probably check their text messages more often than their email.
What is an unpopular opinion you hold but you don’t care? Money is just a tool. Some folks are collectors. They want to gather as much money as they can. But you can’t take it with you. It’s only useful while you’re here. They call it currency for a reason. It’s designed to flow between us.
What condiment could you not live without and why? Mike’s Amazing Spicy Brown Mustard. Because it’s amazing, of course!
What conspiracy theory do you feel is actually true and why? I don’t really believe in conspiracy theories. There is a big difference between known facts and someone’s theory. They make for some interesting discussions though!
If you could eat one food for the rest of your life what would it be? Fresh caught tuna, every day.
If you were given $1 million, what would you do with it? I’d use every dollar to fund school lunch programs. Would a million dollars be enough?
What are three essential items you pack in your suitcase when going on vacation? That might depend on where I’m going. But I’ll always have a good rash guard, a quality pair of sunglasses and my trusty bottle opener.
Describe your ultimate day. My favorite days are the ones spent on the water with family and friends. Good music, a full cooler and lasting memories!
What’s a secret about you that people might be surprised to learn? Most people don’t know that I like to write. There is something about putting words on paper with a good pen that is immensely satisfying. I’m currently working on a short story about life’s lessons. I’ve never been published, but it’s still something that I enjoy. Know someone who would be a good “Neighbor of the Week?” Email keysweeklyjen@gmail.com.
