Help me!

Last night I had dinner with a friend to catch up on things that had been happening in our lives during the summer. People get busy and disconnect on and off. In listening to her story I got more than I was expecting. It also started me thinking about my own current situation of being alone with nobody to help me.

Granted living alone does make one strong because you are all you have and if you don't do something who will? As age creeps up it also causes worries not usually found in a younger person. The what ifs start popping up. What if I should have a heart attack and nobody found me for a week or two? What if I had an accident and lay on the floor bleeding to death? Would anyone check to see if I was ok? In my case probably not and that's a pretty scary thought.

My friend, who also lives alone, told me about a very traumatic experience she had recently dealt with. It led me to evaluate my own life. She accidentally got locked in her bathroom for thirty hours. The room had no window and her front door was locked with a deadlock. She is a diabetic who takes daily medication. She only had access to water. Eventually a neighbor did rescue her by removing her glass patio door from its track. She was physically fine, but the experience scared the hell out of her! My friend also has family who cares and I am sure someone would have checked on her in time.

Her story also reminded me of the terrible snow storms we had last winter. Granted, my son-in-law plowed my driveway, but I still couldn't even drive to the store. The roads were ice packed for a couple of weeks. Nobody checked to see if I needed anything- like maybe food or toilet paper. I was a prisoner in my own house. This year I intend to take a page from the Mormon's and I'm stocking up on essentials.

Most people I know have family they can count on to help, but what about those who don't? I fall into that category and it led me to think about possibilities. What if these "alone" people could be gathered together and connected by a phone call every day or so just to make sure they are alright? If they didn't answer the phone further checking could take place. Best of all it wouldn't require any money, just someone who cares enough to help.

I have found that one question always leads to another so I'll let you know what comes next.