Blog archive
April 2024
Stimulated by "Caste"
04/22/2024
Tulsa reparations, Religion and Politics
04/09/2024
March 2024
Trumps War with Black Women
03/31/2024
Addressing The Needs of Older Adults Through Pasadena Village
03/25/2024
Coming Soon: More Resources for Older Americans, Online and in Person
03/25/2024
Community Building Locally and Nationally
03/25/2024
Preparing for the Future with Ready or Not
03/25/2024
Volunteering is at The Heart of the Village
03/25/2024
Women's Liberation: Then and Now
03/25/2024
Writing Memoirs Together
03/25/2024
Current Views on Current Events
03/20/2024
Unchained
03/18/2024
Rumr of Humor issue # 2409
03/10/2024
Blacks Portrayed by European Artists
03/03/2024
Rumor of Humor #2408
03/03/2024
February 2024
Caring for Ourselves and Each Other
02/27/2024
Doug Colliflower Honored
02/27/2024
Great Decisions Connects Us to the Worldwide Community
02/27/2024
Letter from the President
02/27/2024
Pasadena Village's Impact
02/27/2024
The Power of Touch
02/27/2024
Villages as a New Approach to Aging
02/27/2024
Addressing Gang Violence in Pasadena-Altadena
02/21/2024
Rumor of Humor Issue 2407
02/19/2024
Thank You For Caring.
02/12/2024
Rumor of Humor 2405
02/11/2024
Curve Balls
02/10/2024
Sylvan Lane
02/10/2024
Rumor of Humor 2404
02/09/2024
Larry Duplechan, Blacks in Film
02/03/2024
January 2024
Pasadena Village Joins Community Partners in Vaccination Campaign
01/29/2024
Rumor of Humor #2403
01/28/2024
Pasadena Village Joins Two Healthy Aging Resource Projects
01/25/2024
Decluttering: Do It Now
01/24/2024
Village Volunteers Contribute to the Huntington Magic
01/24/2024
Villagers Creating Community
01/24/2024
Villagers Reflect on Black History Month
01/24/2024
Walk With Ease, 2024
01/24/2024
Wide Ranging Discussion on Current Issues
01/22/2024
Wide Ranging Discussion on Current Issues
01/22/2024
Rumor of Humor # 2402
01/21/2024
Rumor of Humor # 2401
01/15/2024
Re- Entry Programs, a Personal Experience
01/08/2024
Looking Through the Fog
By Karen BagnardPosted: 08/18/2021
- Contributed by Karen Bagnard -
With white cane in hand, TAP card in the other and purse on my arm, I climbed on to Dial-a-Ride. The driver and I exchanged “good mornings” and I swiped the TAP card. Then I found my seat, buckled up and off we went.
There was the promise of a hot day ahead in the cool morning. The air conditioning on the bus already felt wonderful as I stared out the window at the passing houses of my neighbors. Even though it was only 8:00 a.m. and “rush hour” was in full swing, my ride might only be 20 minutes to the eye doctor’s office in Pasadena.
Between the pandemic and the fact that I no longer drive, I hardly get out much at all. I’m quieter on my rides. I’m too busy looking at everything out the window. Even on the freeway I’m looking at drivers and thinking, “Yeah, I used to do that, too.” I wonder if they see me in the bus when they turn their heads and look my way. This must have been how my old dogs, Joey, Corky and Demy must have felt when they got to go for a ride in the family car.
I love seeing the old parts of town… the ones I remember from childhood. Where the new buildings stand I try to remember how it used to look. I don’t remember much. There’s always new construction going on. It’s amazing.
I marvel at the palm trees and the new buildings and the people rushing about. I can still see them. They look like they are walking through fog. The “fog” is in my eyes. It’s really a
clear, sunny morning.
I’ve come to accept the deterioration of my vision. Sometimes I slip into denial again and tell myself, “Naw, it’s not really happening.” Then I snap out of it because I can see that it is. Although I don’t know it yet, this doctor’s appointment will verify that it is. I am never surprised by it but I still hate hearing it confirmed.
I live so differently now than I did a little over three years ago. I have to plan ahead for where I need to go, hope that Dial-a-Ride has a ride available, which they almost always do, and know that I have a 20-minute pick-up window going and another 20-minute window coming home. I miss the convenience of just hopping into the car and going where ever it is I need to go, whenever I want to.
In a way, I’m still driving because I regularly dream about driving. Sometimes I’m off road and sometimes I’m driving off cliffs but, somehow, they are always fun… maybe a bit scary,
but I still enjoy them. My brother, Carl, who is blind and had to give up driving about ten years ago, told me I’d have dreams about driving. He still dreams about driving and expects he always will.
I don’t miss the car expenses, though. I wonder if I could even still afford them anymore. I miss my mechanics, Avo and his crew. They were always so nice and often gave me a ride home when my car was being serviced. One time the owner of the gas station was there and he offered to take me home. Now, that’s a story I need to write about someday!
The plus side of my life is that I have everything I need. I also have a sense of humor and a strong creative streak. I imagine and I “test drive” new art ideas. I am enjoying my home of over 47 years. I’m enjoying it more than I ever could have imagined. I am grateful for my nesting urges for they have created the loveliest nest for me. I still love having friends over to drink coffee or sip wine and enjoy good conversation.
While I may never go completely blind before my life is over, I am definitely moving in that direction. It feels like I’m in a fog much of the time so I pay attention to all that I can see and enjoy it while I can. I pay attention to the shadows of the trees and the phases of the moon and the sunlight coming through the blinds in the morning as I drink my coffee and slowly wake up. Life is so beautiful and there will always be things to appreciate and enjoy. Oddly, it’s the fog that’s rolling in that has made this clear to me.