This weekend, my family is going away to Illinois. Actually, they left last night and won't be home till Sunday afternoon. At first, this seemed like a wonderful treat! Oh, don't get me wrong, I adore my husband and kids, but I've had the kids 27/7 since school got out and I'm downright exhausted! I need a break!
Like I said, they left last night. When I signed good-bye and waved to the van as they rode away, I admit I did feel a little empty. But I was still pretty excited about being alone to do ...nothing... for two-and-a-half days. I waved good-bye, clapped for the dog to come in, and shut the door behind me. And that's when it hit me....FEAR.
I hadn't been alone in that house overnight for years. In fact, I can't remember the last time I was alone in the house for the night. So when it started getting late, I started getting more and more anxious.
I don't think many people realize that it can be pretty darn scary when you can't hear a thing. Turning off all the lights (well, most, anyway), locking the doors, going to bed alone...with no way of knowing if someone was breaking in, knocking on my door to warn me of something, calling me (I only have a small light attached directly to my VP, which is downstairs in the dining room, and I can't afford more), or if there was a storm and a tornado hit.
I am poor and cannot afford signals and such. I have to work with what I have...a text pager and email. I do have a landline phone downstairs for the other members of my family or for emergency calls to 911. I can also call 911 through my VP, but that, too, is downstairs, and I hardly ever use it. I'm talking an inch of dust!
So, if someone were to break into my home, there's no way I would even know...until they killed me. Then I could look down from heaven and smite them. But I have no way of contacting 911 from where I sleep. Also, as amazing at it sounds, the last time a HUGE storm hit (I'm talking HUGE), I didn't even know it had rained till I woke up the next morning, looked outside, and saw trees laying in the street. So, if a tornado warning blares, I wouldn't know it.
So, suffice it to say, it's scary for me to be alone in my home. The only relieving fact is that I do get downtime and things might not go wrong. But is it enough to get me through the weekend? Heck, yeah! I'm alone! I'm alone! I'm alone! No kids! No kids! No kids!
Yea!!!!
I was wondering. Do you have a mobile phone, that you could use to text someone in an emergency. That way you can always keep it at close hand.
ReplyDeleteI only have text availability on my Sidekick. We can't afford more than that. So, no. Nothing but text and email (and from my bedroom, no computer either, so only text).
ReplyDeleteI know this feeling!!! I am hard of hearing but can't hear anything without my hearing aids, which obviously I do not sleep with. I'm so glad someone understands... all my friends and family think I am being silly when I try to explain this one hard part about living alone.
ReplyDeleteAre you able to voice for yourself? I did ask T-Mobile once if I could call 911 with my Sidekick even without a voice plan and they said yes. They have to, it's the law. Also I think if you go to your account settings on T-Mobile's website, there's a place for you to fill out your location so that if you do dial 911 with your Sidekick, it will tell the dispatch where you are. Of course that only works if you're at that location when you dial!
When I was a kid, my parents' contingency plan for me in an emergency was to call 911 and keep repeating the issue and my location until help showed up. Thankfully I've never had to do that!
Sorry that was a LONG comment! :) May I link to this post on my blog?
Hi Lucy!
ReplyDeleteLoved the comment, and LONG comments are very welcome. :v) I don't discriminate.
I didn't know that about the Sidekick being able to call 911 without a voice plan. I will look into it when my husband gets back. Good to know. Thank you! I can voice for myself when needed. Since I can't hear anything though, I would do what your parents suggested and just keep repeating my info as long as possible. If I can get to my plugged in/charging Sidekick while robbers/murderers/rapists are in the room. LOL
Please feel free to link to this blog anytime. I will be checking your out, too. :v)
Same situation here, except that my home is now an empty nest with the last 22-year-old moved out.
ReplyDeleteWhat I am thinking about is getting two or three cheap phones (not wireless) and putting one on each level of my home. (Wireless phones have to be charged periodically even when not used. If an intruder found the main set, it could get unplugged and thus inactivate wireless phones elsewhere.) The phone service is already downgraded to minimum basic service.
I don't currently use a wireless handheld device. Any phone can be dialed 911 and my address automatically transmits whether or not someone speaks. In this area, ALL 911 calls gets a police visit unless told differently.
Anonymous, the same things goes here (unless I'm mistaken). If I call 911 and just leave the line open, they should send a police car to my home. That is, if it's from my landline downstairs. I don't know if my home address would show up if I tried to call via my Sidekick. But your plan sounds good.
ReplyDelete