Bobby Johnson has lived in South Walton since 1980 and has pretty much seen it all.
When his family first moved from Rockford, Ill., when he was 13 years old to Dogwood Street in Seagrove, there were no restaurants, banks, supermarkets, dry cleaners, schools or hair salons.
But there was a good time to be had running loose and free along the undeveloped beaches. He spent his spare time riding waves while surfing.
?My grandmother had Miller?s Country Store on 98, and we came down in summers and pumped gas,? said Johnson.
Attending school meant a commute to Freeport, and when the bridge was out, the next choice was the ferry. And if the ferry wasn?t running, the only other option was driving to Highway 79 in Panama City Beach.
There was no Seaside, and Sandestin was just getting started.
?When the first house went up at Seaside, we thought he was crazy,? said Johnson with a laugh.
There were no red lights or stop signs.
?We used to drive crazy up and down 30A, hanging out of the car and riding on the hood,? he recalls with a laugh. ?I?m lucky to be alive.?
Every Friday, the family would all drive to Destin to do their banking and grocery shopping.
?And there was only one bank there ? Destin Bank,? he said. ?It?s been fun watching it grow. I just wish planning had been better for beach access and beach rights. I never thought you would have to struggle to get to the beach.?
During his 30 years living in South Walton Johnson has fought for red lights on 98, schools and beach access for all. He has served as PTO president at Bay Middle School and as a board member of the Surfrider Foundation.
He has also struggled to make a living. While the opportunities were more often than not slim, the view was good.
?I?ve worked in restaurants as a waiter and bartender, in construction, concrete, as a DJ, owned Collaborations gallery, and as a Realtor.
?I?ve sold Christmas trees and oranges on the side of the road,? he says with a chuckle. ?I opened Collaborations with $3,000 to my name. What we?re going through now with the oil situation is par for the course here. It?s never been easy to make a living here. So, when things started to build up, I enjoyed the opportunity to finally be able to make a living because I didn?t want to leave.?
While his wild formative years spent along the beaches of South Walton instilled in him a deep love for the area, it also instilled a sense of adventure and wanderlust.
So, it was with difficulty when he and wife Beverly made the decision to uproot the family and move.
?It?s been on my brain for quite a while,? said Johnson. ?Something has not been right for a while. Every day I was plugging through.?
The part of his discontent Johnson couldn?t get a handle on was the spiritual aspect.
?As I contemplated moving, I talked to folks at church and they kept telling me that God is only of clearness. But I just couldn?t get the vision I needed to feel totally comfortable,? he said.
That was until he picked up the book ?In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day.?
?I came to realize that I am very comfortable here, but being comfortable is not where I?m happiest. I need to continue to be fearful and uncomfortable to grow. When I?m at my best is when I?m searching,? he said. ?I have been slowly dying and I can?t seem to run from it. It?s not about money or contracts. The business is doing great, but it?s hard to sell real estate knowing you want to move. It has nothing to do with oil. I just need to do something for me. I have never really been anywhere or lived any place else.?
The ?somewhere? Johnson chose is the Newport/Huntington Beach area of southern California.
He will be working with HOM Real Estate Group, again, selling real estate along the beach, just a different one.
?It?s the total opposite of South Walton. It?s crowded and not nearly as beautiful, but it will be a different beach vibe. I got a great job and there will be more opportunities there for all of us. Doors just keep opening,? said Johnson.
?All of us? includes wife Beverly, who grew up in Freeport; daughter, Kelsey, who is pursuing a singing career; and son Brody. He said they are all excited for the adventure. Oldest daughter, Tasha, has already moved to New Orleans.
?I had babies when I was 18 and now I?m 42, so maybe it?s a mid-life crisis,? said Johnson. ?For five years I have been dealing with seeing people losing everything and the after-oil market is not one I want to fight. My real estate business is doing fine, but I don?t want to stay here for money. The oil thing just made me wake up and realize I want to live this part of my life.
?This will always be home,? he said nostalgically. ?I bleed SoWal. And if I stumble and fall out there, I hope the people here will let me back in.?
Have a great adventure...be sure and take a hot air balloon over the SoCal coast at sunset.
