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Small World Or Long Life?

Close up of a flower in the sunlight surrounded by plants

We have roughly 28,000 days of life. That is 78 years to do something, anything or nothing. So, what do we do with all this time? While occupying my 6th decade, I ponder this question almost daily. Where do I want to go, who do I want to meet, what do I want to see? If you are born in the last 20 years, half of your time is spent in front of a screen. I wonder if eyes are becoming less round and more rectangular.

We are “glued to the tube” as my mother would say. However, now the screen is more than just a screen. It is a vehicle for connectivity through gaming, social media, communication and community creation. We use our screen to connect more now than ever and when it does not suffice or give us a neck kink, we turn to other forms of connection.

Close up of a water droplet falling on leaf in sunlight surrounded by plants

What do tai chi, yoga and pickleball all have in common? They create and facilitate that ubiquitous word thrown around at chamber breakfasts and networking events – ‘community.’ In fact, I hear community spoken practically every time I turn around. Politicians speak of ‘my community.’ Our community is talked about in the press. Community is the glue of our society.

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Banks standing and smiling for a headshot in a suit with arms crossed

Banks Helfrich

Candidate for Florida House,
District 25

As a native Floridian, I love this state. As a resident of South Lake County, I love farming and teaching sustainability to this community. As a Candidate for State House, I love finding solutions to the issues of our time.

I'm With Banks!

The News

Safety First

In 2023, John Hopkins University conducted a study to find the leading cause of death in children in the United States. It was not drownings, or car accidents or even cancer. The number one cause of death in children ages 1-17 in America was firearms. So, as a society that treasures its children, and its…
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Servants of Democracy

At his swearing in, the newly elected Mayor of Groveland Keith Keogh made two points quite clear – 1. citizens are the leaders and 2. elected officials are the servants to the citizens. I cannot agree more with him.  Once a year in selected municipalities and every two years in our state and federal jurisdictions,…
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Freedoms Are Not Free

What is the most despised word in April?  Taxes!  In fact, have you ever met anyone who speaks positively about them? We loathe paying them. We attempt to get out of paying them at every turn. We hire lawyers and tax accountants to shield us from them. We argue “Why pay taxes, we live in a…
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