21 March 2025
Several people have asked me if I plan to move to John Knox Village. I’m in the process of digesting all of the material given to me by Jackie and Dave and Peter as well as the material I’ve researched. The answer is, I don’t know but I’m leaning that way.
I’ve had to face a reality I thought was a ways off yet but the chemotherapy for breast cancer still lingers albeit not as bad just after the last session. I am clumsier than usual due to the neuropathy that doesn’t seem to go away. My balance isn’t great and if I were stopped by the police and given a roadside sobriety test, I probably would fail because I can’t do the toe to heel walk. My nervous system, particularly in my hands and arms, seems to stutter at different times.
Doing the yard chores: raking leaves, hosing the patio and pool deck, skimming the pool, cleaning the filter, spraying for weeds, picking up palm fronds and branches, and soon, dropping mangoes, is all getting a little bit much.
Putting new linen on the bed is harder and harder. Who ever thought tossing something into the garbage can, missing the can and having to pick up the thing off the floor would be such an ordeal?
I’ve fainted twice, once inside the house, once outside (this one required three days in the hospital), fell once outside and twice inside. I think I see a pattern here.
Cleaning the house is a major effort which now takes several days – when I get in the mood to clean things I’ve put off for too long. In the Coast Guard, we used to swab the decks, wax floors, and sweep with no ill effects. I now wear a back brace when I vacuum and mop the floors.
Yes, I can get someone to do all of these things, for a price, but I would still spend time cleaning the pool in-between pool cleanings by a professional, either cleaning the house before the housecleaner comes or after when they don’t clean something I forgot to mention, and still picking up yard waste even with a weekly service.
I don’t think it’s going to get any better. Many independent living facilities require you to pass a health exam to get into their facility. In other words, if you can’t walk through the door under your own power, they won’t take you.
The largest single selling feature to John Knox Village is the 70 acres on which it sits with paths all over the place, shade trees, small lakes, and plenty of open space. It really does have a village feel to it.
I’ve never felt tied to one place. As someone whose parents moved sometimes twice a year, I never got the feel of a “home” in which I grew up and set down roots. The closest to that was my Grandparents houses in Morton and Pulaski. Both have now been sold.
I’ve lived everywhere in my life: numerous towns in Mississippi, Fort Rucker, Fort Benning, Fort Bragg, Havre de Grace, MD, New Orleans, Corpus Christi, Miles City, Montana, San Antonio that I have no problem adapting to a new place. The 40 years I’ve lived in Florida and the 30 years I’ve lived in my current house is the longest I’ve lived anywhere.
As most of you know, I’m an introvert and don’t play well with others. Another selling point to JKV is that I can be as introverted as I want, still use the facilities, and continue to live as I have in my current home. My greatest worry is having noisy neighbors above, below, and to the sides of me. That an yapping dogs which I have in stereo at my current location.
If I do move into JKV, I’ll miss my neighborhood and the people I seen come and go. I’ve built some good friendships in this neighborhood with people who are willing to do anything to help you.
If I do move in JKV, I will have to sell the house and it’s not a good time to do that. I need to meet with the folks at JKV and see what my buy in will cost me. Based on their web site, I am financially able to go into either a one bedroom or two bedroom unit. Their fees will eventually go up but so will my electric bill, water bill, cable bill, etc. so that’s a wash.
The good news is if I do move to JKV, Jackie and Dave promise to help me negotiate my way into the place and help me make friends.
I’ll keep you posted.
Stay tuned!
