Completely in the Dark

[Dear readers: This is the last post of 2011. I’ll be taking a hiatus next weekend, Dec. 24–25, returning with new stories on Jan. 1, 2012. Thanks for joining the journey.]

Sometimes I get a “Florida ache.”

Not a longing or a pining for Florida, but more like a “pang,” a memory tic that includes sights, sounds, smells.

It’s a quick succession of impressions: driving through South Florida at night, the briny-sweet ocean air and heavy humidity; an oldies station; a flea market on a hot, sunny day; my parents’ house and dock; a restaurant called “The Fishery” where, in late May 2008, Dad and I had one of our last lunches together: a cup of fantastic seafood gumbo and a mug of beer each.

Truth be told, I don’t care for Florida. Never have and likely never will. It’s a Florida ache because that’s the last place I saw…