Entrepreneurship Survives Vicious Milton

We Americans do love our T-shirts. There seems to be one for every purpose or cause. As is the case with bumper-strips, there’s hardly a philosophy, political candidate, product, athletic team, rock band, town, saloon, or organization with more than three members, that’s not celebrated on somebody’s T-shirt. Next time one of your Democrat friends comes out with some leftist delusion, you can leave him in doubt by replying: “That must be true — I read it on a T-shirt once.”

T-shirts have become a cheap form of advertising. Mobile bill-boards. Not free of the entrepreneurial spirit myself, I’m thinking of having one made up that says: “This space available.” Perhaps my chest could generate a little cash flow. It’s not doing anything else just now.

Bumper strips are a similar medium, with the same variety of messages. Some of them downright exotic. The late Southern novelist, Walker Percy, enjoyed running across oddball strips. He had a life-list of them, sort of like birders do. His favorite was: “Goat ropers need love too.” That one is indeed splendid. I’m sure it would brighten my day to spot one of these on the back bumper of an F-150.

As a Milton survivor myself, I’d rather forget than celebrate this destructive storm from Hell, as I’m sure millions of other Floridians would. But I’m sure this item will enjoy brisk sales. Hats off to the entrepreneurs who found a way to turn a buck from the storm without approving of it, or ignoring the death, destruction, and heartache it brought with it. It can be seen as a celebration of the toughness of Floridians. Even without hurricanes, Florida summers are not for sissies. They’re long, hot, humid, and often have stormy finishes. And Milton was a finish for the ages.

The Helene/Milton One-Two Punch

It was a hairy Wednesday night for my wife and me. But we escaped without damage to our persons or to our 100+ year-old Tampa home. We didn’t even lose power, which tells me the Age of Miracles is not over. (Millions across the peninsula weren’t so lucky.)

Thursday morning, however, we couldn’t help but notice that one of our neighbor’s trees had taken up residence against the side of our house. It’s been removed and is now part of the endless sea of tree debris across the city which will be a long time being removed. I’m not sure where it will go. If we sent it all to Minnesota for fire wood there’s enough of it to keep that state warm throughout its long winter. 

Power is back now in most Tampa precincts. Normal is on the way after the Helene/Milton one-two punches. But it hasn’t overtaken us yet. In hopes that Milton has put paid to this storm season, Floridians are keeping up with tropical weather reports.

A storm-weary friend told me that if he learned in the coming days that there was something else cooking in the Gulf of Mexico he might jump off the Skyway Bridge. I fear he might have to stand in line for the privilege. I tried to reassure him by saying that as well as all good things, all bad things also come to an end. This must be true. I read it on a T-shirt once. Or was it a bumper-strip?

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