Bok Tower and Gardens
Unique Places
Over the past several months, my wife and I have been visiting unique places around our home state of Florida. This past weekend we visited Bok Tower and Gardens for an evening concert. Bok Tower is one of those special places in Florida. Since 1929 there has been 23 million visitors to the gardens. The singing tower carillon and the magnificent 1930s Mediterranean style mansion make the gardens the perfect backdrop for artistic, personal and spiritual enrichment.
This was only the second time we had been to the gardens and had no idea what a musical treat we were in for. The concert was performed in the visitors center. This made for an intimate setting that helped the 100 or so in attendance feel as though they were a part of the show. Having never been to a concert in this type of a setting, we had no idea what to expect. Boy were we surprised.
Violinist Ashly Liberty and her husband pianist Daniel Strange engaged the audience right from the first note they played. Their entire program captured the audience with smokin’ fast, exciting foot-stomping music. Their performance included Vivaldi’s famous ‘Summer’ movement, a gorgeous arrangement of James Taylor’s “Shower The People’ and an absolutely brilliant arrangement of Billy Joel’s “Angry Young Man’. The Billy Joel arrangement was worth the price of admission. It was simply BRILLIANT. We spent the night at Cypress Campground and RV Resort located in Winter Haven, Florida. After our morning coffee we headed out to visit longtime friends we had not seen in a while.
Life is too Short
Life is too short to spend on the couch glued to the crap on TV or stuck on your cell phone checking the latest gossip on Facebook and other social media nonsense. Think differently about what you think might be important; what’s on TV or posted in your social media maze of nonsense truly has nothing to do with making your life better or you happier.
Whatever the case, I want you to know that it’s ok if you’re going through tough times. What’s not okay is doing nothing to change the situation that’s causing the tough times you are having. It can honestly be as simple as turning off the TV or putting down your cell phone and taking a walk. If you are in a funk, not getting the things in life you want or just cannot find lasting happiness then it’s time for a change.
Get Up and Get Moving
It’s time to find those unique places like Bok Tower that will move your heart in the right direction, will enrich your soul and lift up your spirit. Get up, get out and enjoy what life has to offer. You will be surprised by what’s out there waiting for you but, you will never know unless you GET UP AND GET MOVING.