The short answer is March 4, 1978. Most awesome day on the planet, ever!
I feel the "where" in this story is much more interesting than the "when." So, where was I born? Wauchula, FL. Phonetically, that's What-CHU-La. Don't know where it is? It's located right next to Zolfo Springs and Bowling Green, and just north of Arcadia. Yep, right there, in that sprawling metropolitan of citrus groves.
The last census estimates have Wauchula housing just under 4,500 residents, in an area of just over 2.5 square miles. The entire county (Hardee) has some 28,000 residents in 238 square miles. Wauchula is a part of the Florida Everglades, and is located an easy drive from both Orlando and the Tampa Bay area, two of my favorite places in Florida.
Wauchula is home of the famous "Baby Swap" case of 1978 (thank God I wasn't born in the hospital!). However, in my family, it is more famous for the direct hit from Hurricane Charley on August 13, 2004. The city was declared a federal disaster area, and several of the houses destroyed belonged to either friends or family of mine. When I went down to salvage what I could from my grandmother's house two weeks after the storm, there was still no power anywhere outside of the city square.
On September 5, 2004, the city took another direct hit from Hurricane Frances, followed in quick succession by Hurricane Jeanne on September 24, 2004. It was the most devastating thing I've ever seen with my own eyes.
I have not lived in Wauchula since the 70's, but I still visit often, and will always consider it my home.
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