Chicago Trip

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.