Over Christmas dinner my Uncle Jimmy was saying how important seniors are to certain segments of the economy which got me to thinking about age diversity. One of the reasons why I like my block is the diversity.
Seniors are important to the civic life of a community. While I’m working, far from home, they are an extra set of eyes on the block. If they are retired but still mobile they can go to city hall or other city offices with petitions and complaints about things effecting the neighborhood. Why can’t I go? Well I’d have to use my annual leave, my precious annual leave to do those errands. Also there are many seniors, like my Uncle Jimmy, who volunteer for activities and causes in the area where they live.
On the other end of the scale, young heathens, also known as children can be put to good use. I am a great believer in child labor. It’s not the best labor, but work is a good thing. I hope that Giant will sell some cheap snow shovels so I can get some good cheap child labor to make a path, not a good path, down the walk for $3-$5. I discovered the wonders of cheap child labor when cooking and discovered I didn’t have a certain ingredient and couldn’t leave the stove. There were some 10 year olds hanging out in front and I knew one was allowed to walk to the Giant. So for about $1 and some loose change I got a food runner.
Teenagers. So far they’ve been good for hanging out on street corners and making the neighborhood look less safe.
The rest of us, what are we good for? Home and garden improvement? Filler. We make good filler.
Day: December 27, 2004
Dogs in the Park
See Scott Shapell’s article about a meet up for Eastern Shaw/Truxton Circle dog owners @ the park on 1st & Florida.
Baby it’s cold outside
Dang dagnabit it’s cold.
You have to forgive me I am a native of the land of sunshine, shorts, and flip flops, Florida. I believe it is my right, my right I say, to walk around in sandals. The cold weather is infringing on that right and forcing me into restrictive sweaters and clunky boots.
Anyway I figure this is a good opportunity to inform you, my neighbors of some cold weather things. First, if you see a homeless person and it is under 32F (below freezing) call 800-535-7252 and someone will come around and try to get him/her into a shelter or at least provide the homeless person a blanket if they are too hardheaded and want to stay out in the cold. Second, at some point in the season we are going to get ice. You are responsible for the little stretch of sidewalk in front of your house, please salt your sidewalk so I won’t slip, fall, and sue you. The Ghetto Giant has bags of salt and ice melt in the front of the store near the cashiers, pick up a bag so you’ll have some when that first icy rain hits.