I am absolutely thrilled to have found MMM, and even after just a few months, my life has been enriched.
Of course there are some areas that still need improvement, and I have been working on those.
This is what I would like some feedback on: I am fairly happy with my exercise situation. I swim three times a week at the Y, and when I get on Medicare (in just a few years--early because I have multiple sclerosis), the cost of the gym membership will be negligable.
But I would LOVE to be able to bike to the grocery store (1.6 miles each way), drugstore (1.3 miles each way), some friends' houses, the Y (2 miles each way), and my cheapo hair salon (1.3 miles each way). I would rely on my husband's car to get to places I cannot bike (certain doctor appointments, etc.), and maybe get rides from friends sometimes?
Here is the thing: I have multiple sclerosis, and while I can walk, my sense of balance is not what it used to be. I know that my strength and balance have improved since I have been swimming, and I have this fantasy that I will get even stronger and more "balanced" if I take up biking. My husband is strongly opposed to the idea. He used to bike a lot in Nashville, and he says it is too dangerous for a person in my condition (weakness, poor sense of balance) to attempt this.
Well, maybe he is right. But it's exciting to think about the money that would be saved if we didn't have to have two cars.
Another possibility: perhaps I could walk to these relatively nearby places? I would have to use a rollator (walker on wheels) in order to do this. I can go pretty far when I use one of these things. But I would feel embarrassed! I have not been too embarrassed to use my rollator to walk around the block in my neighborhood, but I know I would feel conspicuous and "judged" (by friends and family) if I used my rollator while walking alongside traffic-filled roads. Bear in mind that I am not a young person.
So that is my problem. I would love to find a way to get by with one car, and to get to nearby places in ways that exercise my body. If I were able-bodied, it would be easy! I just hate thinking that we are spending all this extra money and polluting the environment because of my medical condition.
Does anyone have any thoughts on this dilemma? Any creative ideas? Or at least some ways to feel better about everything? ;)