Fellow Wanna-Still-Be-Drivers...
I've gotta '91 car with a whopping 30,477 miles on it. Since my move 16
months ago I live VERY, VERY close - as in one BLOCK - a market, drug store,
coffee shops (kinda so-so ones but OK in a pinch) cleaners and other like
places of commerce. I drive there....and that drive takes me about 2 minutes
each trip.
My home is 3 minutes by car from 2 luxury malls and one average mall and
specialty shops (Most out of my price range but STILL fun to spend time if
not spend money in).
I KNOW my own driving limitations because I don't wanna kill or injure myself
or anyone else while driving, SO.... Between the 2 and 3 minute drives I've
added under 200 miles to my car since my move, and no one's been killed,
injured, or mutilated when I've been at wheel!
I'm ALWAYS so very conscious of possibly causing an accident because my 32
year old daughter, Jamie, has, since my move, SUDDENLY <sic> discovered that
that I've told her and her 35 year old sister, Sandy, about my having a
PROGRESSIVE, DEGENERATIVE DISEASE was the truth, and not just a ploy to get
chauffeured around like a queen or just trying to get attention!
Which brings me to NOW --- to today. Jamie - God bless her - - is trying to
make up for lost time and I have to FORCE her NOT to drive me everywhere!, to
the point where she sees no reason for me to even HAVE a car! (Both
daughters live pretty close to me - maybe within 'bout 5 minutes?)
Sandy, being a far different person than her sis is great at delegating to
her S/O of the moment or to her friends (Errrrrrr..... they ARE nice but I
barely know 'em. So we've worked out an "If there's blood or fire, I can and
will call Sandy, but otherwise I call on Jamie if I REALLY NEED HELP.
Jamie and I are hammering out some guidelines and are fine tuning our system
and it's mostly working fine now. I'VE even driven HER upon a coupla
occasions when her car was in the shop and her hubby was busy! <smile>.
The main thing is she originally wanted to do ALL my errands because she
thought THAT would ease my way thru a day if I didn't feel that great. THAT
was settled by my telling her I can''t remember a day when I last felt
"great," but I DO have lotsa hours in many days when I feel pretty darn
decent and SOME hours in a day that I feel "OK" (I let her ask "what means
"OK by YOU, Mom," and I told "OK is the time between feeling "decent AND OK" <
giggle>
I guess what I'm trying to say is there's no easy way to DE-enfranchising
one's self when one's been a totally FUNCTIONAL adult for 40 of one's 58
years. But if we don't keep TRYING to remain somewhat adult-like why then
we'll be seen as Childlike, and who wants THAT?
Barb Mallut (A kid at heart, but not a child!)
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