Stories that creep into my mind

So here we are in sunny Florida on my second day of vacation. I'm not counting the days we drove to get here. There is no rest or relaxation involved when driving on a highway. Some observations I have. Let's start with the most obvious and work my way out. HOLY CRAP! The place we are staying at is bigger than my house back in San Antonio. Long ago when I used to work for Disney, this place didn't exist. Last time I was here, this was all trees and grass. I expected new buildings and growth to pop up all over the place. What I also expected to see was some familiar landmarks such as roads. Now toll roads, expressways and turnpikes mark the landscape. Roads have changed direction and merged with others and what not.
It's all changed. 
My first night here I thought I saw a Marriott that my old apartment complex was next to. A friend of mine told me that place was gone... torn down to make way for something else. Still, it would have been nice to see something familiar. We're gearing up for a trip to Disney World. There is a possibility I'll bump into someone that I worked with all those years ago. It took a long time for me to come to terms with leaving the Tragic Kingdom. There were many friends and dear people I worked alongside. Heck, I met my wife there. (She still puts up with me, bless her heart.) In retrospect I wanted to have something to show for my absence. The age old question arises when I meet an acquaintance after all those years apart.
'What are you up to?' or, 'What have you been doing?'
The responses to those questions would be long and varied.
Through the magic of Facebook and online research, I've found out that some of the people I've known have met varying degrees of success. We can't help but measure our triumphs or tragedies to our peers. Comparisons like that are wrong. They're not the true measure of a meaningful life.
Carol is giving directions to my good buddy Nick on how to get here. He is someone I'm very proud to call my friend. He's also someone who's had his ups and downs, but if I had to name one thing I'm proud of, it is that he's growing as a person. He tries and he never gives up. Oh, he bitches, complains and threatens just like we all do, but he gets back up to face all those who put him down. I suppose that's one of the reasons I like him and love him like the brother I never had.