Cruising toward Cannabis and Pinching Pennies in the Panhandle
Here in the Florida Panhandle, where my husband Joe and I are spending the month of February, I’m having a lot of fun noticing what’s like, and what’s different from, our home in the Northeast.
Here are a few observations.
Eclectic churches. There are a lot of churches here. Many are mainstream: Baptist, Presbyterian, Lutheran. But others seem to be congregations unto themselves with no ties to a larger denomination.
This one seems to be a congregation unto itself. Why was the building sold? Has the congregation moved to a better place? If I find out, I will let you know.
This one blows me away. It’s the commercial-looking logo that grabs my attention. It’s out on the commercial strip, right by Walmart and Winn-Dixie, where people go anyway. People can go to church and do their errands in one fell swoop, and that’s a convenience. I’m betting that blue jeans are not only accepted but welcomed. This church looks like, say, a slightly upscale clothing store. It even has a coffee shop inside, and a special trailer for kid activities:
This is one congregation that is going where people are and giving them what they want.
On the other hand, there is one familiar religious congregation here:
If this one Unitarian congregation is the only Unitarian presence in Bay County, it must be spread pretty thin: Bay County occupies 1033 square miles. Hartford County, where I live, has three Unitarian congregations in 750 square miles.
Cruising toward Cannabis. Recreational cannabis is now legal in a handful of places, including California, Colorado, Massachusetts, and even Connecticut, but not here in Florida. Still, I can see it coming. Look at these establishments:
I have to admit, I find this hilarious.
Pinching pennies. There are more Family Dollar, Dollar General, and Dollar Tree stores here than at home. Also more Goodwill stores. Also more stores that explicitly cater to thrift: Money Mizer, Pinch A Penny. This is consistent with Bay County statistics stating that the median household income and per capita income here are lower than those in the rest of the country, and the percentage of people living in poverty is higher.
Food truck finds. Here’s one thing I found here in Panama City that isn’t offered back home: Beignets from a food truck:
I could get used to that.