![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
redneckgaijinThere are two very old women (well, a lot more than that, but I'm only talking about the two) out here in the woods. Both of them are about ninety. Both of them have a large number of feral cats around the place.
One of them lives alone. She has a daughter-in-law do her shopping for her, and never leaves the house. She is in poor health. Her ferals are very skinny, diseased, and miserable.
The other one has a relative living with her. That relative drives her grocery shopping and to doctor appointments. She is in pretty good health, considering her age. Her ferals are well-fed, healthy, feisty, and occasionally tameable.
The first woman is Eva Dell Hendrix, a friend of the family; the second woman is my grandmother.
Over on my political blog,![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
starcat_jewel pointed out that pretty much everything about my life would be improved if I lived anyplace other than where I live- out in the woods twenty miles from gas and even further to a paying job. Well, first off, I live out here because of the above- I don't want my grandmother ending up like Eva Dell, whose family for the most part neglect her. Second, the roof over my head is paid for- I pay no rent. (And considering my credit is -shit-, getting an apartment, or even controlled-climate storage for WLP's stock, would be, put mildly, an adventure.)
There are also a few advantages to living out here. For one thing, our electric bill is about two-thirds what it would be if we lived in Houston proper. Ditto our car insurance. Regulations, building codes, and the like are practically non-existent, and enforcement even weaker than that. We haven't had a Jehovah's Witness or Mormon in three years.
Yes, all things being equal, I'd rather live in a town, if not a city. All things are not equal, though- and not only is it cheaper out here, I'm fulfilling a purpose taking care of my grandmother- who will need it more than ever, since her income is now reduced to only her own Social Security check. There are many disadvantages and inconveniences, but there are also good points to this existence.
Sometimes, though, it's really hard to remember them.
One of them lives alone. She has a daughter-in-law do her shopping for her, and never leaves the house. She is in poor health. Her ferals are very skinny, diseased, and miserable.
The other one has a relative living with her. That relative drives her grocery shopping and to doctor appointments. She is in pretty good health, considering her age. Her ferals are well-fed, healthy, feisty, and occasionally tameable.
The first woman is Eva Dell Hendrix, a friend of the family; the second woman is my grandmother.
Over on my political blog,
starcat_jewel pointed out that pretty much everything about my life would be improved if I lived anyplace other than where I live- out in the woods twenty miles from gas and even further to a paying job. Well, first off, I live out here because of the above- I don't want my grandmother ending up like Eva Dell, whose family for the most part neglect her. Second, the roof over my head is paid for- I pay no rent. (And considering my credit is -shit-, getting an apartment, or even controlled-climate storage for WLP's stock, would be, put mildly, an adventure.)There are also a few advantages to living out here. For one thing, our electric bill is about two-thirds what it would be if we lived in Houston proper. Ditto our car insurance. Regulations, building codes, and the like are practically non-existent, and enforcement even weaker than that. We haven't had a Jehovah's Witness or Mormon in three years.
Yes, all things being equal, I'd rather live in a town, if not a city. All things are not equal, though- and not only is it cheaper out here, I'm fulfilling a purpose taking care of my grandmother- who will need it more than ever, since her income is now reduced to only her own Social Security check. There are many disadvantages and inconveniences, but there are also good points to this existence.
Sometimes, though, it's really hard to remember them.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-12-22 06:39 pm (UTC)If you were raising a child, you would STILL be stuck out in the ass-end of nowhere, and you wouldn't have that "choice" either -- because of what you consider your other inescapable obligations. The exact same thing applies to a lot of working parents. That was the point I was trying to make, but apparently I didn't make it clearly enough.
Libertarians are fond of the idea that if people don't like the conditions under which they're living, they can just "pack up and move" to someplace they like better. In the real world, that is often NOT an option, for a variety of reasons, and I get really tired of hearing Hobson's-choice situations portrayed as "people making bad choices for themselves". Especially by people whose income shields them from the kind of hard choices those people face. (Not you, but you know who I'm talking about.)
Way out there
Date: 2006-12-24 02:49 am (UTC)Cities have one, and only one redeeming factor: Convenience. Things are more convenient. Everything else basically sucks. I LIVE in a city! I used to live farther out, and yes the city is more convenient for just about everything. Here, in (the city I live in) I can get a quart of milk at any hour of the day or night by walking just two blocks. I can also get mugged on the way to and from. I have neighbors on either side. One plays Arabic or Armenian or something music at all hours of the day and night. The other had a mouth that would make a septic tank seem pure and wholesome.
You are the lucky one. I think Starcat Jewel doesn't realize what one gives up, living in Metro this-or-that. I've lived in both, country and city; and if I were up to it, I'd be outa here in a snap. Enjoy your good fortune.