You know, I’ve been sitting back and watching Gulfport, Florida, and something about it just doesn’t sit right with me anymore. This used to feel like one of those small communities where you’d walk down by the water, grab a bite to eat, hear some live music, and just enjoy the atmosphere. But lately? It’s not the same. I don’t even think people want to admit it out loud, but it feels like our little spot by the bay is sliding downhill.

After that storm came through, the damage was one thing, but the real problem is what’s been happening after. Businesses never really bounced back the way they should have. You lose a place you’ve been loyal to for years, and while they’re trying to rebuild, you’ve already found a new restaurant or shop in St. Pete or somewhere else. That’s how people are. Once they settle into their new routine, it’s hard to pull them back. That’s exactly what’s going on here. Customers drifted away, and they’re not coming back in the numbers that are needed to keep Gulfport alive.

And I can’t help but point out the other side of this too—politics. Ron DeSantis with his rules, his restrictions, and his treatment toward the LGBTQ community. Gulfport has always been a place where LGBTQ people brought life, culture, and business. It’s no secret that many of the events, shops, and restaurants were kept alive by the support and creativity of that community. And now? You can feel their absence. You can see the difference. You can see it in empty storefronts, you can feel it in the quiet streets. When you push away the very people who were pouring their energy and money into keeping this area vibrant, what exactly do you think is going to happen?

The other layer is leadership—or really, the lack of it. Ken Welch, mayor of St. Pete, talks a big game about bringing in business, helping communities, all this shiny talk about growth and projects. But when I look around, especially after that whole situation with the Rays baseball field, all I see is promises that didn’t reach the neighborhoods that need it most. St. Pete is supposed to be this anchor city that pulls places like Gulfport up with it. Instead, it feels like Gulfport is being left behind.

It honestly breaks my heart, because this was a place where small businesses could actually thrive. People used to travel down here for little festivals, to see the art, to spend a weekend at the quirky shops. Now, I worry that five years from now, Gulfport is just going to be a shell of what it once was. And it won’t be because the people here didn’t care. It’s because the support was never consistent. We can’t keep losing our businesses and then shrugging our shoulders like it’s no big deal. Once it’s gone, it’s gone.

I think about it like this: if you’ve got a favorite restaurant, and it shuts down for six months to rebuild after a storm, what are you going to do? You’re not going to sit around waiting hungry. You’re going to find another place. And if that new place feels good, maybe even better in some ways, then you’ve moved on. That’s exactly what’s happening. Gulfport can’t afford to keep asking people to “come back” when they’ve already adjusted their routines somewhere else.

The silence about this whole thing is the scariest part. Nobody’s talking about it. You’ll hear politicians talk about budgets, taxes, stadiums, and highways, but who’s talking about these smaller communities that are fading away? Who’s talking about the culture loss? The job loss? The fact that an area that was once colorful and alive is now struggling to hold on by the fingertips?

I don’t want to see Gulfport become one of those places where people drive by and say, “Remember when this town used to be something?” That’s exactly the path we’re heading down if no one changes course. The storms hit us hard, yes. But storms don’t destroy communities—neglect does. And I’m seeing a whole lot of neglect from both the state level and the local level.

Maybe I sound frustrated, but that’s because I am. I’ve seen the potential here, I’ve seen the joy this place can bring, and I don’t want to watch it die slowly. Someone has to start saying it out loud: Gulfport is in trouble, and if people don’t start caring now, later will be too late.

So here’s me, Cindy, putting it out there. Think about where you’re spending your money, who you’re supporting, and what kind of future you want for this area. If we keep ignoring it, we’re going to lose it, plain and simple.

Cindy

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