“I’ll never forget that night…
Stayed late past close at Gumbo Limbo, yacking it up with each other and random strangers over hot wings and rich, luscious tropical drinks complete with sugar cane sticks and umbrellas. The Gulf was lapping at the shore behind us as the beach grasses swayed with the breeze. The sun had long since set and the stars were shining so brightly out across the water, far beyond the reaches of Naples’ light pollution.
We paid our tab and tips, said our farewells to the amazing bartender, and wandered – happily tipsy – down the wooden steps and into the sand. We laughed and might have snuck a joint, if we had anything left at that point. Oh wait! I believe it was a bit in an old chillum. Or we were out of our few remaining greens by that point in time and were more drunk than we remembered. Either way, good night.
We passed many others partaking, both alone and in groups, spread out among the dunes and hoping no one came to break up the party yet not really caring at all. We sat on the beach in the sand for hours just down the way, still drinking the to-go drinks we had that I forgot to mention (and that we still have the plastic Ritz-Carlton logo cups from), when we swore we heard a familiar song…
‘Jeremiah was a bull frog…’ The group around a small bonfire began to sing, their voices echoing along the shore. Like a movie, it began. We joined in, as did the whole beach. Or, at least, what seemed like it at the time. Every one, strangers and friends, together in harmony under the stars. Pure magic.
Oh G-d, I miss Florida sometimes.”