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In the midst of it all.

Who says Twitter is a waste of time. How can they say that when you find gems like these.



Is there a place so close that we call home? Frankly, when I returned to Milwaukee in August of 2019, I told people that I had the same feeling I had in 2004 when I first moved here. It felt like home to me. No, this time, I wasn't in the Downer Ave. Area. That was beyond my budget. 

I settled gladly in the Lower Eastside, a mere two blocks from The Hop on Ogden, Metro Mart on Van Buren, and Juneau Park on Prospect. I have immediate access to bus line numbers: 14,15,30, and the Gold Line. This neighborhood is vibrant and diverse. It hums the way a city street should.

I'll admit I am limiting my outside activities because of an incident a couple of weeks ago. The landlords of the many apartments and condo buildings are excellent a clearing and de-icing the sidewalks I need for exercise and shopping. However, the curbs at the intersections are often filled with snow or ice due to snow plowing. A few days of sunlight seems to cure the problem, but we went through a period of overcast that didn't help.

I was returning from Metro Mart with a backpack full of groceries. The half-gallon of milk made the load a little heavier than normal. As I negotiated the last intersection before my building, I slipped ever so slightly. I moved my cane to help regain my balance. Unfortunately, I put it on an ice patch.

The bad news. I was on the ground fast because of my inability to regain balance with the load on my back. As soon as I landed, I knew I hadn't hurt myself. However, I needed to get the backpack off, find dry ground to get myself standing, and regroup for the half-block trip home. To say I was shaky is to minimize my condition.

The good news is, in what seemed like seconds, four people were by my side. One young lady passed her dog's leash to an older woman, so she could help me get the backpack off. Two younger men offered me their arms so I could pull myself up. The woman holding the dog retrieved my cane. One of the young men insisted that he walk me to my apartment building. Of course, I thanked them all. And they all insisted it was no big thing. To them maybe, to me, it was huge. 

Would this have happened in other places I have lived?  Of course. In some of the communities, I probably would know the names of the people who assisted me. What still surprises me is the unconditional response of the so-called city dweller who doesn't know his neighbors and has no sense of community.



Comments

  1. Larry KrolikowskiFebruary 2, 2021 at 7:24 AM

    Any injuries Jeff?

    ReplyDelete
  2. SusanFebruary 3, 2021 at 4:43 AM

    Hope you have recovered with minimal soreness. Glad it wasn't more serious.

    ReplyDelete
  3. CharFebruary 3, 2021 at 5:08 AM

    Be careful Jeff. It’s hard in the winter up there.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Michelle MooneyFebruary 3, 2021 at 6:41 AM

    You tough old bird! I know from my own experiences that "young people" are generally far more kind than we give them credit for, and isn't that wonderful.

    ReplyDelete

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