Page 54 - February_2016_Life_In_Naples_Magazine

POLITICS and
POTPOURRI
by Councilman Bill Barnett
O ne of the fun things about being an
elected official is you get to ride in
quite a few parades in the City if
you choose to do so. I’m one of those who
has always enjoyed doing that, and I always
recruit two candy throwers from our local
schools to ride with me and toss the candy.
Usually the kids are 3rd to 5th graders and
their exuberance keeps me smiling for
the entire Holiday Season. This year was
no exception, and one of my riders was a
neighbor’s daughter who is a fifth grader at
Lake Park Elementary school and the other
was a fourth grade gentleman from Osceola
Elementary school. Both were intent on
following my simple instructions which was
not to try and throw any beanballs that would
hurt someone, throw the candy far enough
so kids wouldn’t get near the car, and try
and ration out what they throw so we have
some left by the time we get to the end of
the parade. I will tell you that no matter how
much candy we buy, and we buy a lot, it is a
rarity to have any candy left anywhere near
the end of the parade. I have learned from
many years of parade experience not to get
stressed if we run out early, and to let them
be kids and have fun which they sure do. My
grandkids used to ride with me until they got
too big and riding in parades wasn’t a cool
thing to do. This year we ran out at about the
three quarter mark but nonetheless it was
fun and they will be bragging about it for the
entire school year.
One year when I was Mayor I was
auctioneering for a charity event and I
auctioned off the opportunity to ride with
me in the St. Patrick’s Day parade which is
probably the best parade of the year. It went
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for $1800.00 and the charity was thrilled with the
results.
It is New Year’s Eve and here I sit at 8 p.m. in
my pj’s with my wife Chris, our rescue Bulldog Zsa-
Zsa, and our two rescue cats Maggie and Ava. We
are going to watch the Alabama-Michigan State
game and try to stay up till midnight which is almost
impossible because we are early risers and there is
really no incentive to be able to say yes, we stayed
up to watch the ball drop. After 43 years of living in
Naples I have finally come to the realization that the
Christmas-New Year week is the busiest week of the season and to just chill
out. I try not to complain, I smile a lot, I don’t grind my teeth when I’m stuck
in gridlock and absolutely, positively, I try not to get impatient in the grocery
store. So how is that working for me this week? Well, a few hiccups and a lot of
deep breaths, and one grocery store mini meltdown when I had patiently waited
my turn in line and when I’m asked by the counter person what I need a guy
insisted he was next in line. Maybe there was a time in my life when I would
have vehemently challenged him, but I relinquished my turn and waited for
an extra 10 minutes while this person tried to make up his mind on what cold
cuts he wanted. Overall it has been a good week. I was in Swan River Seafood
Market a few days ago and a lady who had come into the store forgot to take
a number and didn’t realize she needed one. After a few minutes I offered her
mine and she smiled and said “No thank you, I just realized I left my money at
home and I just wanted to see what I will buy and then go home and get my
money.” I said to her. “Please pick out what you want, I’ll pay for it, and you can
leave the money with the staff here, they know me”...She was amazed and said
“You don’t know me, you would really do this?” I told her I had lived in Naples
for many years, I introduced myself, and said yes I would, and she accepted and
profusely thanked me. I fully realized that maybe I wouldn’t get paid back but
my gut said I would because this is Naples and if you live here that’s just what
we do. A few days later I went back to buy some seafood and sure enough there
was a note and the $12.00 that she had spent. I might never see her again, but I
know it made me feel good and I know I made someone else’s day a good one.
Well Alabama just scored first and I’m getting tired, so the odds are another
year will pass and a new one will be here when I wake up tomorrow morning
and I won’t see the ball come down!
As we watch the weather patterns across the country we have a lot to be
thankful for here in Naples, so make sure to enjoy it!
Life in Naples | February 2016