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There 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.
