Off to Boston

I'm off to Boston next week, on the bus, by myself. Partly to check out the dental school clinic and have a free dental exam and partly to reassert my ability to be independent. So, I'm going for the whole day and will be able to do a little sight seeing before my late afternoon appointment. Maybe stop at a couple of the old cemeteries that are close by....? Maybe the Boston Tea Party Museum...?

Reality check - it's supposed to be 20 degrees. I may be hanging out at South Station for awhile.

My journal has been suffering from severe neglect over the last year and, with a few hours to sit, drink tea, and people watch, maybe I can catch up on a little writing. I’ll bring my handy dandy neo writer with me so I won’t get distracted by the internet. The Neo runs on 2 AA batteries which can last a year or more and it’s practically indestructible. South Station looks beautiful - like Union Station in Denver. Good place to people watch.

There’s a lot to write about, even if I don’t count the half dozen articles I’ve started and are now languishing in the drafts folder. We’ve been living in New England for almost an entire year now. There’s got to be a few stories in there. There’s one in particular I want to share which is about a unique exercise program for people with Parkinson’s. I visited once and I actually did some boxing and I actually enjoyed it. Me. I didn’t expect to, but then I didn’t know I’d be boxing to music.

After the visit, I came home with the email address of one participant, who invited me to her house for tea, along with another woman whose husband is in the program. From them, I learned where the best movement disorder specialists are (Boston and Hartford), where there are other exercise programs, how to find scholarship grants to help pay for exercise programs, and I learned that New Englanders aren’t as standoffish as I’d always heard.

I’ve actually met a number of lovely women around my age. Many of them are named Karen. Considering the challenge I have with remembering names, this could be a good thing. I never forget my friends. Who THEY are is so much more than just a name.

I could also follow the lead of my niece who, at the age of 3 didn’t realize her preschool classmates came pre-named. When I asked her what her friends’ names were, she replied, “I don’t know. I haven’t named them yet. I think I’ll call one Cinderella.”

Hey friends, guess what? If I start having a lot of trouble remembering names as I get older, y’all are gonna be Karen.