No, but some of our more rural counties now have one / them, including Bremer, Fayette, and Buchanan. Wonderful places all... but not urban centers. [Not directly related, Chuck, my friend Lou, the Harvard / baseball / newspaper student, says he'd love to meet you next time he comes "out" to the Midwest. He's a very fine young man and I'll bring him "down" once I persuade him to visit.]
"But we all have access to cars, and we drive for business and shopping, for events and visiting friends and family… meaning travels, even for us in rural areas, take us in and out of population centers."
No. No to every word. But only for some of us. No doubt, everyone you know in St. Ansgar would agree with you, at least to an extent. But my social media are crammed with pleas from people my age, now alone, asking if anyone can help them get a ride to the dump, to the doctor or dentist, to a friend They have no living relatives. They have visual, hearing, or other physical impairments that make driving impossible. While there are substitutes such as Lyft, Uber, buses and cabs, they aren't particularly useful when what you want is a quick ride to a necessary service (and back again) or transportation to see a friend who has just notified you that she's going into Hospice care-- in another county. You know that you will never see her again, if you don't find a ride before she moves.
Just recently, a man asked on social media if anyone had leftover supplies of wet cat food. He had a physical impairment that made leaving his apartment impossible, at least temporarily. Yes, he could have signed up for some grocery delivery, but his injury was, evidently, quite new. Deliveries leave the food at your door; he lived on the second floor and hadn't figured out a way yet to get downstairs. Like many of us, he had no relatives left in the area (or the state of Iowa, for that matter). His close friends had died. So this was his last try. Fortunately, he received several answers and lots of canned cat food, plus some new friends. I hope they will make sure the supply continues.
A friend of mine lived alone in a large house. As she approached her 85th birthday, she began to leave the house totally unlocked all night. Obviously, that was risky. However, she explained, it was necessary because when she fell at night (almost every night) she could punch a button on her watch and police or firefighters would come to help her stand up again. They couldn't get into the house if it was locked. Her unused car sat outside.
I do have access to transportation. I have friends. I am extremely lucky and thankful for it. I'll be happy, if you just take "all" out or your statement about access, and bring all my friends who have no access into this good column.
I’m really liking roundabouts when I encounter them. Any idea what the smallest town in Iowa is that has one?
No, but some of our more rural counties now have one / them, including Bremer, Fayette, and Buchanan. Wonderful places all... but not urban centers. [Not directly related, Chuck, my friend Lou, the Harvard / baseball / newspaper student, says he'd love to meet you next time he comes "out" to the Midwest. He's a very fine young man and I'll bring him "down" once I persuade him to visit.]
A quote from your column on roundabouts:
"But we all have access to cars, and we drive for business and shopping, for events and visiting friends and family… meaning travels, even for us in rural areas, take us in and out of population centers."
No. No to every word. But only for some of us. No doubt, everyone you know in St. Ansgar would agree with you, at least to an extent. But my social media are crammed with pleas from people my age, now alone, asking if anyone can help them get a ride to the dump, to the doctor or dentist, to a friend They have no living relatives. They have visual, hearing, or other physical impairments that make driving impossible. While there are substitutes such as Lyft, Uber, buses and cabs, they aren't particularly useful when what you want is a quick ride to a necessary service (and back again) or transportation to see a friend who has just notified you that she's going into Hospice care-- in another county. You know that you will never see her again, if you don't find a ride before she moves.
Just recently, a man asked on social media if anyone had leftover supplies of wet cat food. He had a physical impairment that made leaving his apartment impossible, at least temporarily. Yes, he could have signed up for some grocery delivery, but his injury was, evidently, quite new. Deliveries leave the food at your door; he lived on the second floor and hadn't figured out a way yet to get downstairs. Like many of us, he had no relatives left in the area (or the state of Iowa, for that matter). His close friends had died. So this was his last try. Fortunately, he received several answers and lots of canned cat food, plus some new friends. I hope they will make sure the supply continues.
A friend of mine lived alone in a large house. As she approached her 85th birthday, she began to leave the house totally unlocked all night. Obviously, that was risky. However, she explained, it was necessary because when she fell at night (almost every night) she could punch a button on her watch and police or firefighters would come to help her stand up again. They couldn't get into the house if it was locked. Her unused car sat outside.
I do have access to transportation. I have friends. I am extremely lucky and thankful for it. I'll be happy, if you just take "all" out or your statement about access, and bring all my friends who have no access into this good column.
Anne Tanner
Really good point, Anne, and I have modified away the "all". I should have known better. Thank you. --K