Why I Choose To Live Without A Vehicle

There are many reasons that I chose not to own a vehicle. I am still thankful not to have one. Cars have always been a big part of my life. My father owned a gas station back in the fifties and early sixties. He liked working on cars and my brother did at a young age also. My brother was driving a 49’ Dodge around the big field next to our house. Over the years, I had many different cars and some were better than others. The last years though, I was poor. I did not have the money to pay for repairs and if I did, I had to use a credit card to pay for it. So it changed my opinion on owning a vehicle when I was moving here in 2018. I decided not to have one. Best decision I ever made!

County Bus

Living in the city enables me not to really need one. In the country you really have no choice. It is more than a necessity. Here there are other ways to get around. A county bus that will pick me up right at my apartment building Monday through Friday. Our building is one of their bus stops. Taxi service that is pretty slow due to not enough of them and many people are using them. I would rather use the bus because it is more affordable and maybe even dependable. I have a mobility chair, “Jazzy” which is like a car to me. I can take it to the grocery store, drug store or dollar store. Of course, I cannot use it in bad weather, especially heavy rain or in the winter. For the most part though, I love using it and it makes going anywhere fun.

The library right across the street.

Not having a vehicle is one of the reasons that I try to use the businesses closest to my apartment. And there are many since I am in the center of the downtown area. There are four parks within walking distance of my apartment. The library is right across the street. The county office building is within the block. My son’s apartment is two blocks away. Restaurants, bars, a coffee shop, 2 drug stores and hair dressers are a walking distance away. 

December 2020

We have winter here in New York with a good amount of snowfall. Cars being covered with snow is pretty common. Tenants who own vehicles have to clean off their cars and move them so the snowplow can plow the parking lot. So glad that is not something I have to even think about. Often they have to park their vehicles somewhere else if our forecast is a major snow fall during the night. So parking in another area and walking back to my apartment would be difficult. I cannot do that.

My niece and me with my car 1988

Not owning a vehicle also means no auto loan, no auto insurance, no auto registration or inspections, no preventative maintenance, no repairs or tires, etc. etc. The list can go on. Not getting stopped by a cop either! I still have my driver’s license and plan on keeping it. I haven’t driven in a very long time, probably since 2019. Quite honestly, I do not miss it one bit. 

Copyright © 2023 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2023  Kathleen G. Lupole

Busy Busy Busy, That's me!

 

Loneliness is an emotion many people feel at one time or another in their lifetime. I live alone except for my house bunny, Rabbit. I have always been an introvert so being alone does not bother me as much as some people. I admit that I talk to Rabbit as if he is a person. He listens but does not join in our conversation! Living in an apartment building, downtown, means I can connect with others whenever I feel the need to. So it is not like I am isolated away from others most of the time. If I am, it is my own doing.

My son lives a couple of blocks away and I see him almost daily. He is disabled and it seems to me his disability is getting worse as he ages. So that is something I have to contend with the best I can. Since I am alone it my problem and I deal with it. What else can I do? It is part of being a mother. If he did not have a disability, I suppose I would not be so involved in his life. Probably I would not like that so much. He is my son and I will take care of him as much as I can. I know he gets angry with me but I am on his side all the time. He just does not see or understand it.

Lenovo Legion Laptop

I have been working on a story that I started back in 2010. First I had to figure out how to get Libre Office into my new computer. It took me a year to do that! I was also able to figure out how to get my old external hard drive in it. So I found my old stories and eBooks that I had been working on. In fact, when I bought this new computer, I had to teach myself how to do a few things I thought previously I'd never be able to do. One of those things was to remove Windows completely out of my computer (since it comes in the new computer..........packed full of advertising and things I would never use). I did it and put Ubuntu in and have been happy with it ever since. Did it all on my own with YouTube videos. 

Basically I am pretty busy all day. Even if it is doing trivial jobs like housework, making meals or editing photos in the computer. The day just gets by me and I am always saying, "how could it be this time already?" I don't really like to live by a schedule and for the most part I don't. I might eat breakfast at six in the morning or at noon. Yet there are other things I try to do by a certain time. Like cleaning my bunny's cage. Or using my leg massager. Or getting the coffee ready for the next morning in the coffeemaker. If I am an hour or so off it is okay and I don't stress about it. 

It doesn't bother me to do things by myself. Never did. I remember I used to go to the movies by myself if there was a movie I really wanted to see. Now I could do that easily here since the theater is within walking distance of my apartment. It is being upgraded due to the beautification grant Norwich won. So that will be interesting to see. I loved the vintage feel of the old theater but think that is why it did not have a lot of people attending movies there. I probably would not go to a night time movie since I do not like to leave my apartment after dark.

Presently I am in the process of changing all my health care to local only. The dental I have no choice on but hopefully soon I will be finished with them. In establishing my independence, I need to get to the appointments on my own. Eventually, your dependence on someone else will end or should end. I chose not to own a vehicle and I do not regret making that decision one bit. It does make it difficult at times if I have an appointment that is 40 miles away though. So changing where I go for medical and dental is important now. I wish I had thought of that when I first moved here. 

As a single person you have to make an effort to keep up your friendships. Sometimes I may not feel like doing something but after I do it, I am usually happy I did. It gets me out of my apartment and usually I enjoyed myself. Sometimes I just sit in the park in the sun and watch people and traffic. Having four parks within walking distance of my apartment is pretty nice. Can go to a different one every day. There are a number of activities that take place right in the area I live in all summer and fall. So the week-ends here are busy and there are a lot of people around. 

Fit King Compression Leg Massager

I think when you have health issues you spend most of your time focused on that and rightly so. Lately I have realized if I don't think about that so much then I feel better. In fact, I will go half the day and then remember I was worried about something that seems to have disappeared or does not seem so bad. Lately I have made progress on Lymphedema and that is because I have committed myself to doing my self-care every day no matter how much time it takes. Along with sticking to a clean Keto lifestyle. It really does pay off! How do I know? Because the day after I eat ice cream or something else that contains sugar or inflammatory cooking oils I am not good. One bad food equals days of discomfort and depression. 

Copyright © 2023 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2023  Kathleen G. Lupole

Updated 2023