Mobility

Confidence, independence, freedom, privacy, equality, meeting known and new people. Interactions. Information and geography, respect, economy: saving taxi fares.

Disappointment when not met, lost, being thankful, misinformation, changes to terrain, obstacles, signs. misdirected, accidents, badges of blindness.

7th Feb: day after Hugh's funeral. Taxi to Spencer Street station, arriving soon after nine. Driver left his taxi to ask station attendant to help me. Attendant left his post and walked down to the platform with me, checked arrival time for next train, left me

The train arrived without an announcement. Finally a recorded voice announced the destination and asked people to stand back. I hurried now the train in some trepidation because I had no knowledge of the platform or exactly which way it was. I missed the train and began to walk along the platform to find a phone. station attendant found it for me and waited while I rang. Sat with me for half an hour until my train arrived and helped me in. He was off duty, he explained. Also told me times of trains back to Spencer, stations before and after Berrick. Rang officer at Berrick to warn him of my arrival and ask him to ring taxi. coming back I found same man on platform at Spencer and he had come back in check if I had made it. Showed me to food shop and chemist. Sat with me until train arrived and showed me to my seat. no flirting. on a seat to return to his post.

Who would you like to sit with? Don't know who's here, or who looks as though they'd like to sit with me. Given a seat either alone, or at end of row, isolated.

Need to be comfortable with myself so that others can be comfortable with me.

reflections on my life. reminiscences and Reflections: people seem to be less intrusive, more accepting, or indifferences. Many helpful, so get to know or at least talk to them.

Still ask intrusive questions. Intriguing, mysterious, remarkable.

Sometimes resentful.

MOBILITY grows with habit – the better the habits the better the mobility. Families and others discourage by predicting accidents, danger much more than by encouraging, giving guidance and good information. Do things for, rather than with me so that I miss the opportunity to gain information about what is around me. In the ladies' room someone will hand me a paper towel, but I have no knowledge of where it came from. Should I go there again I have no knowledge of where to look for it.

Someone will say, "you'll fall", "you