Unwelcome

 So the Ds know this -- I want all of their friends to move back to Miami. Luckily, many have, after what I call sabbaticals in other parts of the country. Other than the absurdly high cost of housing here, it truly is a wonderful place for young people. There is never a lack of things to do -- from the 4 major sports (plus soccer, I guess) to the best cultural offerings south of NYC. And the biggest events -- hell, F1 is running in May, an event that makes the Super Bowl seem minor league.

At the wedding Saturday night, I was chatting with one of my favorites of the Ds' friends: Ben. He and D2 have been close since Middle School. They went off to UF together, and Ben became very close with D2's dear friends.

After UF, Ben did Teach for America at a poor school in the Bronx, and now has a permanent job there. He is, I have zero doubt, one of the best they have -- caring, compassionate, extremely smart, and dedicated.

His younger brother is a prosecutor in town, and his youngest is doing Teach for America in LA. 

So I cornered Ben, who is himself a product of Miami Dade public schools, and told him it was time to come home -- bring what he learned in NYC here -- be close to his parents and brother, and live the superior lifestyle Miami provides. 

He shook his head. Never, he said, as long as the Republicans and DeSantis control things. Ben came out several years ago, and said he is proudly gay, and wants to have a family someday -- how can he do that in a place that has now legalized anti-gay policies?

I tried to give him my usual response: I agree no one can live in Florida -- they have to live in Miami. But Ben said he would discuss it with me someday at length -- the wedding wasn't the place.

I get it, and I understand. If you're told by the government you're not welcome -- would you want to be here?

It's a pity. Ben is a gifted man -- and will someday be, I have zero doubt, a wonderful Dad. We lose out not having him.

But as for me -- well, of the luckiest things about my life, and I have manifold lucky things -- having my kids here is paramount.

I just got a FaceTime with D2 -- walking the enormous dog along Biscayne Bay at their apartment. And she told me she has dinner plans tomorrow with D1.

Thursday our English friends Sandra and Dave are in town -- staying on Miami Beach, very close to D2 and Jonathan.. They're leaving on a cruise Friday, and we have dinner plans -- Smith and Wollensky -- maybe we'll see some ships passing on the Cut.

After dinner, I told D2 we'd come by and fetch Betsy. We run a hotel for dogs, and D2 and Jonathan are headed to Austin Friday for a wedding -- Betsy will vacation with us. I saw her best friend Jagger today and told him. He wagged his tail at the thought of romping with Betsy this weekend.

The wedding is for Ashley -- the last of the Yellow House friends to marry. Her fiance is Kyle -- the son of a preacher man -- the only one who could ever move her. Ha. As if I can EVER avoid hearing that song in my head when I think of Kyle. He's an IP lawyer in Atlanta, and a terrific young man. He stayed here with Ashley over NYE a few years back and we got to know and admire him.

D2, Catherine, Ali, and Ashley -- sorority sisters, and roommates for 2 years in the above described Yellow House. And they all married very well -- and Ali has an adorable baby. I sure hope the other three catch up in that department -- particularly D2.

Maybe things will change here politically. DeSantis barely won -- and the Democratic candidate was a clown who ended up drugged out in a hotel with a male escort -- so maybe he wasn't the strongest opponent.

Hopefully a majority of voters will thing Desantis and company have gone too far with the culture war stuff -- worried about sex and abortion more than things like property insurance and funding health care. I guess we'll see.

It'd be nice to be welcoming to good people again.