MY PEACEFUL KEY WEST STORY-NOT!

     It was the 1980's and I had qualified for an incentive Cruise with the real-estate company that I worked for in West Desmoines-First Realty Better Homes and Gardens. The trip was on a Norwegian Cruise Lines ship which I have long forgotten. 

       My ex-wife and I flew down a couple of days early to Miami before the cruise was to depart for the west Caribbean( Jamaica, Cayman Islands, and Cozumel.  I had always wanted to go to the Keys and Key West just because I had heard so much about it and also it also only 90 miles to Cuba from there. It is a pretty good drive around 90 miles from Miami to Key West.

       It was all I had expected except you can get a little claustrophobic driving through the Keys and seeing water very close on both sides. The evening we stayed in Key West one of the biggest deals was at a certain time everyone would start walking to the certain pier or area to watch the sunset. It was almost like watching zombies walking to a certain destination.  

       We found a place to sit by this pier and were waiting for this unforgettable peaceful sunset. There was just one problem. There also was a couple besides us who preceeded to play fairly load music. They were your basic panhandlers that you see in touristy areas. I leaned over to the lady and said I would put $5 in the guitar case if they would stop playing during the sunset. After all, we had come over 1,000 miles to see this peaceful and beautiful event. I didn't want it spoiled by a couple of old "hippies" trying to make a buck.

     The woman was really insulted by my gesture and preceeded to tell me all about this being a free country and a few other choice words. A few other people around us also complained and they finally left. If only they could have picked a tune liked "Killing me softly!"