Diminishing Returns

     Of course, of course, it's all for the best, it's the right thing to do, blah, blah, blah, but it still sucks scissors.  An old friend of mine recently decided not to drive any more after suffering an accident in her car.  She is rational and courageous about it, but the hurt is there.  She passed her car on to a young couple who are financially limited, thinking that was a positive in the decision she made.  Since she no longer drives, she is moving from her comfortable apartment to a facility that has more amenities, including a pool of cars and drivers reserved for the residents' use.  The smaller living quarters means she also must part with a portion of her household furniture and other accessories.  She is attempting to find good homes for her stuff; she already downsized ten years ago when she moved from her family home into an apartment so still more treasures must go; possessions acquired over a lifetime have become liabilities.   
     She already has been at the mercy of others regarding transportation.  A cab driver she called for an appointment contacted her half an hour after the time of her appointment to ask if she "still" wanted a cab.  She rebuked him, and he hung up on her.  A portent of things to come, no doubt.  The more isolated one becomes, the less valued by society, at any level.  Humans are capable of accommodating to almost any situation, but that doesn't make certain changes, inevitable as they may be, any easier to accept. 
    When you have been driving your own car for most of your life, when you have traveled the world, even served in the Peace Corp in Africa, losing the path to mobility has to break your heart, at least a little.