Date: Sun, 20 Dec 2015 12:48:55 -0500
From: “John R Dykers”
Subject: Sherri Shepherd’s post and a look ahead.
I grew up in Jacksonville, Fla. and once lived in Cameron Village in Raleigh, so I know what you mean about city convenience, and traffic and crowds. But you and I chose to move here, and your description of the differences is realistic. I love living with land around me and a few wonderful neighbors who I can’t see unless we intend to do so! But we are ‘there’ for each other and know we all respect our privacy. Chatham is no longer as homogenous as it was when I moved here 30 years before you did, so much of your description depends on where you live.
May I first encourage you to ‘shop local’ when you can. Maybe, as a man, I mean more ‘buy local’! There is not much I want that is not at the Farmer’s Alliance Store in Siler City, or Ace Hardware, S&J Plumbing and electrical supplies, Black Tractor or Clapp Bros or Tractor Supply, Baird Sales, Siler City Automotive, or Walmart. Our arts community around the NC Arts Incubator is limitless, eclectic, and the result of excellent craftsmanship and talent.
Furniture you buy only once if you know what you want, and Hart can reach all over the world, if the present owners are carrying on Harold’s tradition after his death. Housewares have many excellent local sources. Price may not matter to you, but most places here are noticeably less than Chapel Hill or Southern Pines. Antiques and art work in Pittsboro is also exceptional and likely more genuine than many more expensive items in Chapel Hill. My mother and sister in law were ‘experts’ on such and I am still living with their selections!
Now, shopping for clothes will certainly carry you ladies all over the land, and it takes talent to find the local ‘jewels’, those not selected for you by the price tag elsewhere. Shopping on the internet with parcel delivery to our door is a whole new ball game.
Our hospital in Siler City is not as easy a walk as it once was, but it is remarkably well equiped and staffed and is easily accessible, and plugged in to the UNC system and refers to everybody as needed.
I also live alone and the spectre of illness and being homebound is universal. I had a spell lasting about 6 months and the help available here was phenomenal, and being a retired physician I only needed willingness and could train as needed.
There is an Eastern Senior Center in Pittsboro and the Western Senior Center in Siler City, and our Council on Ageing is marvelous.
BUT, the really exciting look ahead, especially for us older folks in rural areas is the self driving automobile!
This is far closer to reality than most of us realize. There is a new startup in San Francisco which is focusing on CONVERTING present vehicles to self driving! Imagine what a dramatic social change this will represent. The loss of independence associated with having to stop driving will largely disappear.
John Dykers