Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Life On Your Own Can Be Good

Flower Garden Across the Street


It is much easier to live alone than with a spouse, children, other family members or roommates. There are some people who cannot tolerate being alone all the time. Research says if you live alone you won’t live as long, but I don’t necessarily believe the so called “research” of anything. Then they turn around and tell you that stress will kill you. Where do most people have stress come from? Other people or bills, I think! I am definitely an introvert. I always have been and always will be. I hate noise. If I am listening to something of my own choice, like music or a television show, it is not for the constant noise. Some people have to keep a television going just to have that noise around them. Not me! If someone calls me on the telephone, I have to shut off my television or music. I cannot have that sound on in the background. It is distracting to me to be talking to someone and watching television at the same time. I can only concentrate on one sound at a time. I used to have two different friends who always had their televisions going and loudly. I would be stressed from trying to understand what they were talking about, that by the time we got home, I just wanted quiet. Not to talk to anyone.


kat's Kitchen

I have lived with other people through out my whole life. Parents, brother, friends, boyfriends, husbands, child, etc. I am the type of person who likes to put things away as soon as I am done with it. I do not like to leave dirty dishes overnight in my sink or on my counter and stove top. Everything has a place and when I cook, I normally put everything away before sitting down to eat. The same with my clothing. Hang it up or put it in my laundry basket. If I see myself start slipping on this, I make it a point to clean it up and then stick to it. As I am getting older, it is easy to just pile clothes that I just wore on a chair. I am trying not to do this. Sometimes I am just so tired by bed time, but if I know I will be wearing the same thing the next morning, I will set it on my vanity stool which is right next to my bed.


Huge Windows and High Ceilings

Since I moved to this apartment last year, I am better able to keep my home pretty clean. I am in a studio apartment that is very small. It does not seem that small to me since it has huge windows along almost one whole wall. And high ceilings above the windows. The ceilings are three levels and it makes it feel like it has more space. At 338 square feet it really is quite small. The bathroom is large though with a walk in shower. The biggest bathroom I have ever had in my whole life. The kitchen is a good size too, separate from the rest of the apartment. Not an eat in one though. Pretty easy for me to keep the place clean and neat all the time. I have uncluttered constantly since moving and before I moved also. I sold a lot of things on eBay for a number of years. Still had a lot to get rid of when I moved though. Even afterwards, I have gotten rid of more things. If I do not use it, then I try to sell it. If I sell it, I use that money to pay down my debt that I had from my previous life.


Downtown Norwich, NY

It gives me peace of mind to live in my own space. Bills paid, food to eat, air conditioning in the hot weather and heat in the cold. Living downtown in a small city, also gives me an option to shop when I need something. Not owning a vehicle affords me that extra money for those things I want, but not affordable if I had to pay for the “privilege” of driving. I do have someone in my life who will drive me anywhere I want to go. All I have to do is ask. Though I am still trying to arrange my own transportation locally, just in case I had to do it on my own. The bus system here and two taxicab companies are available to me. I have not experimented with either one as of yet.


katlupe

Just because you are a woman of a certain age does not mean you cannot be happy living alone. If you have never lived alone it is a whole new experience. Being able to do what you want, when you want and not have to ask someone else if it is okay or what they think about it. Not have to beg someone to try it your way. If you decide to do something on impulse you can do it in a minute. Nobody to ask. Just do whatever you please. Not ending up in a big argument over it. Deciding to pay off my debt without reusing what I pay off to live has been very nice. It was one of those things that caused a huge conflict before I moved here. Now I am seeing that light at the end of the tunnel!




Copyright © 2019 Kathleen G. Lupole
All Photographs Copyright © 2019  Kathleen G. Lupole


Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Traveling To The Store



My apartment is about 3 blocks from my closest grocery store. I have not been able to walk to it. Not even with my rolling walker. Months ago, I made it as far as the post office with it, but I didn't feel confident enough to go that far. Especially across that large, hot parking lot. In February, I purchased a mobility chair. A few of my neighbors in my apartment building use these chairs and scooters to get around town. They travel at a pretty fast clip. I was excited about buying the chair, but scared to use it. Once I got over the initial fear that I was not going to tip over, especially going up and down the ramp, I started using it more.


Broad Street in Norwich, NY

I met a man one day who was shopping using his mobile scooter. He stopped and talked to me. I told him I wasn't sure if I could make it to the grocery store. I doubted if my battery would hold the charge long enough to go there and back. He took a look at my battery charge meter and said it was fine and I would easily be able to go there and back and then some. So I did. That was my first time. Ever since then, I have loved going places with my chair.


Pride Jazzy Mobility Chair


My chair, I call "Jazzy" due to the manufacturer named it that. It is made by Pride Mobility and I am impressed with the quality of every part of my chair. I feel comfortable now going up and down the ramp to my building and even navigating the sidewalk ramps around my city. There are areas along my routes that have bad deteriorating sidewalks and I am just careful going around those if I can. I do not want to damage Jazzy in any way or ruin a tire.



My New Shopping Bag

Now that I am able to go to the grocery store, I feel so much freedom in doing so. I bought a large zippered insulated bag for the back of my chair to carry my groceries in. It was $7.99 at my local Aldi's and worth every penny. I bought ice cream and drove home along a longer route than usual and when I got home my ice cream was still frozen brick hard. Now that is well insulated as it was a very hot day!


"I made it!"

If you are trapped inside due to any type of health issues, it can cause you to get pretty depressed. One of these chairs or scooters gives you a way to get outside and around town. Living downtown is a lot of fun if you can walk or ride to the little shops, drugstores, the library, parks, restaurants and cafes. During the good weather there are a lot of outdoor activities taking place within two minutes of my apartment. Just don't forget to put your battery on the charger at night! 








Copyright © 2019 Kathleen G. Lupole
All Photographs Copyright © 2019  Kathleen G. Lupole
Updated 2023