Florida is now number three in population!
“We’re number three! We’re number three!” The latest census figures for our states, released in mid-December, point out what many of us who live here and experience the many traffic jams suspected. Florida passed New York State to become the third most-populous state in the nation. Florida did that by adding an average of 803 new residents each day between July 2013 and July 2014. Our population now is some 19.9 million. We still have a ways to go before passing Texas (27 million) and California (38.8 million).
I know it’s hard to determine the causes of such a migration south to La Florida. However, I’m sure that many people have come here for the good life, including remarkable fishing and boating, along with our climate and our no-income-tax status. As a transplanted Yankee from New Jersey who has traveled around much of America and lived in five countries overseas for six years, I can attest to the beauties of Florida, especially its beaches, lakes, rivers and streams.
We were not the fastest-growing state over the past year, however. That honor goes to North Dakota, whose population increased 2.2 percent, but I’m not sure that North Dakota with its nicknames of Flickertail State (for the way a local squirrel flicks its tail in a distinctive way), Heaven, Norse Dakota, Peace Garden State, Roughrider State, or The 701 (for its area code) can match Florida’s: “The Sunshine State.”
I have friends from South Florida who have studied at fine universities in North Dakota. They have pointed out the many positive attributes of that state, but—because some of them are from Orlando—can’t wait to return to the warmth and waters of Florida. The symbol of their hometown of Orlando is appropriately the fountain at Lake Eola.
Our state has about 7,700 lakes greater in size than 10 acres, more than 1,700 streams and rivers, 700 springs and 11 million acres of wetlands. Most if not all such entities have fish waiting to be caught. If you consider all our lakes, rivers, streams and springs, you can claim that we have over 10,000 ways to relieve stress and anxiety. With many concerned citizens lobbying to protect our precious waterways and a Florida Legislature acting to cut down the pollution of our waterways, we’ll continue to attract more and more fishermen and boaters.
The great American writer Washington Irving had this to say about fishing: “There is certainly something in angling that tends to produce a serenity of the mind.” So get out and take advantage of our 10,000-plus ways of reducing stress and acquiring a serenity of the mind. Perhaps, you will encounter some of our new residents learning the joys of the Florida lifestyle on the waterways.
Kevin McCarthy, the author of “South Florida Waterways” (2013 – available at amazon.com for $7), can be reached at ceyhankevin@gmail.com.