I went to Chicago on a business trip this week. I live in Lansing, MI, a medium size city. I travel to Detroit regularly. It is, inevitable that I make a comparison.
Chicago is a vibrant and strong place, while Detroit struggles.The city of Detroit is far more familiar to me than Chicago, so my comments are be to be judjed through that lense. Detroit streets are easy to navigate as a blind person. Chicago is very loud and there is stuff all over the sidewalks, everywhere. Chicago has the most wonderful public transit. It is easy to get most anywhere by rail. In addition, there are busses to supplement the rail system.
Downtown Chicago has a "pedway" that is a subterranian system of tunnels connecting a lot of downtown businesses and streets. It is a good alternative to the loud environment on the surface, but is limited in that it does not go everywhere.
In addition to the Chicago trip, Mary, Larry Posont and I traveled to Desmoines Iowa for Allen Harris' retirement celebration. Desmoines has a system of overhead pedestrian walkways. This system seems to connect most places in the downtown area. It is similar to the Minneapolis pedestrian system.
Now, Detroit has the People Mover which is a very good way to move about downtown Detroit, however it is a small system. The Detroit bus system is a mere skeleton of its former self. It is still possible to get around, but it is not as easy or convenient as in past times.
Now, I must comment on age. I commented to someone this week that I formerly did not notice the noise. The noise interferes with my travel confidence. I must sometimes force myself to venture into that noisy environment without the benefit of reliable sound cues. Part of it is certainly my unfamiliarity with the area, but the sounds of the elevated trains obliterates almost all sound as they pass. There is a lot of construction that makes noise plus disrupts the sidewalks. The complex and stimulus-rich environment forces me to think carefully about all my cane travel training, my belief in my skills and the use of the cane. When I think rationally, I regain confidence and step out with faith in my abilities.
Since bloggingis new to me, please forgive the rambling nature of this post. Travel has always been an important part of my life. Venturing on to the streets of Chicago has caused me to take stock of my feelings. To become fully confident, I would need weeks of traveling alone. I did glimpse the edge of my fear and confidence and am encouraged. Age, with its accompanying change in my senses and sensitivities, and lack of practice have definitely undermined my confidence, but these experiences assure me that I can succeed anytime I choose.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Thursday, September 4, 2008
I watchedthe vice president nominee last night. I guess if that is the best she could do to campaign, it is a pretty poorstatement of what the Republicans are offering. If the most they can do is talk about the Democrats, obscure the fact that she did try to get the bridge to nowhere, hired a lawyer to try to get earmarks for her town, then how is she for change?
She bragged about her vetoes. What did she veto? That is more interesting than that she vetoed stuff. Why didn't she say what she vetoed?
The whole convention keeps bringing up Reagan. Is that where they are living? We need to think today, not 30 years ago. Speaking of Reagan and Bush, it should be pointed out that each of them created record deficits during their administrations. Where is the fiscal conservatism in that? Why is Reagan a hero? He killed plans to make America energy self-sufficient begun by Carter. He killed the change to the metric system. He created huge debts for the country. All I hear to his credit is his rhetoric, the very criticism the Republicans are leveling at Obama. Where is the consistency?
Enough of my rant for now. I have been thinking about our garden. We have a raised bed "Square Foot Garden." it is in 2 2'x8'x2' boxes that our neighbor calls coffins. We grew string beans, radishes, basil, tomatos, peppers, eggplant, carrots and onions. The tomatos are the most successful. The radishes are the biggest failures. The radishes grew very large tops with no radish under the ground. My brother told me that I did not plant the seeds deep enough. We will try some different things next year.
She bragged about her vetoes. What did she veto? That is more interesting than that she vetoed stuff. Why didn't she say what she vetoed?
The whole convention keeps bringing up Reagan. Is that where they are living? We need to think today, not 30 years ago. Speaking of Reagan and Bush, it should be pointed out that each of them created record deficits during their administrations. Where is the fiscal conservatism in that? Why is Reagan a hero? He killed plans to make America energy self-sufficient begun by Carter. He killed the change to the metric system. He created huge debts for the country. All I hear to his credit is his rhetoric, the very criticism the Republicans are leveling at Obama. Where is the consistency?
Enough of my rant for now. I have been thinking about our garden. We have a raised bed "Square Foot Garden." it is in 2 2'x8'x2' boxes that our neighbor calls coffins. We grew string beans, radishes, basil, tomatos, peppers, eggplant, carrots and onions. The tomatos are the most successful. The radishes are the biggest failures. The radishes grew very large tops with no radish under the ground. My brother told me that I did not plant the seeds deep enough. We will try some different things next year.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
I have been watching the 2 national political conventions. I am trying to be objective about the Republican event. It is not possible. The tone is so negative. Viewpoints need not equal moral defects. It is not morally defective to believe that we are are our brother's keepers. It is not unpatriotic to disagree with the war in Iraq. God will do the judging.
Sure, I get angry about other's disregard of the rights of others, insensitivity toward my friends and family or bigotry and hatred. My job is to do justice and love God and let God handle His stuff.
I am not sure I can watch as the Republicans will tell us that they are righteous and everyone who disagrees is some kind of moral defective. Not my style.
Sure, I get angry about other's disregard of the rights of others, insensitivity toward my friends and family or bigotry and hatred. My job is to do justice and love God and let God handle His stuff.
I am not sure I can watch as the Republicans will tell us that they are righteous and everyone who disagrees is some kind of moral defective. Not my style.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Labor Day Weekend 2008
Well, hello, I will try to be more regular about posting here.
Over Labor Day, I went with 7 friends to the Upper Penninsula. Our main goal was to walk the Mackinac Bridge on Labor Day. On Sunday, however, we went to the Munising area. We visited Laughing Whitefish Falls and then went to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Some of us climbed up the falls. This particular falls has a ledge at the top where water goes straight down and then it flows down a long series of small ledges like irregular steps and slanted rock faces.
We had a lot of fun playing in the water and challenging ourselves on the rocks.
At Pictured Rocks, we swam in Miners River where it flows into Lake Superior. 3 of our group jumped off the rock cliffs into Lake Superior. I just enjoyed the sensation of sitting on bed rock and feeling the water move around me in the river.
It was the fourth or fifth time I walked the Bridge. I love it every time. The bridge seems so light and fragile, strange since it is made of iron and concrete. The bridge seems to sit so lightly on the earth. The whole idea of a five mile long structure less than 100 feet wide seems so delicate in the context of the Great Lakes and the land masses that it connects.
I feel a spiritual connection with God when I visit the falls, Pictured Rocks and the Bridge. God gave us such a gift when we were imbued with free will, imagination and curiosity. Since God created us, the beautiful things we appreciate and construct must be extensions of His glory.
This is not my most eloquent writing. I hope to get better as I learn this Blog thing. The format gets in my way. I find it cumbersome to post these messages.
Over Labor Day, I went with 7 friends to the Upper Penninsula. Our main goal was to walk the Mackinac Bridge on Labor Day. On Sunday, however, we went to the Munising area. We visited Laughing Whitefish Falls and then went to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Some of us climbed up the falls. This particular falls has a ledge at the top where water goes straight down and then it flows down a long series of small ledges like irregular steps and slanted rock faces.
We had a lot of fun playing in the water and challenging ourselves on the rocks.
At Pictured Rocks, we swam in Miners River where it flows into Lake Superior. 3 of our group jumped off the rock cliffs into Lake Superior. I just enjoyed the sensation of sitting on bed rock and feeling the water move around me in the river.
It was the fourth or fifth time I walked the Bridge. I love it every time. The bridge seems so light and fragile, strange since it is made of iron and concrete. The bridge seems to sit so lightly on the earth. The whole idea of a five mile long structure less than 100 feet wide seems so delicate in the context of the Great Lakes and the land masses that it connects.
I feel a spiritual connection with God when I visit the falls, Pictured Rocks and the Bridge. God gave us such a gift when we were imbued with free will, imagination and curiosity. Since God created us, the beautiful things we appreciate and construct must be extensions of His glory.
This is not my most eloquent writing. I hope to get better as I learn this Blog thing. The format gets in my way. I find it cumbersome to post these messages.
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