It Started in Spring

My grandson was staying overnight and that means we have been up since the crack of dawn. It is now 9 am and we are on breakfast #2. It includes fresh-cut fruit and scrambled eggs with cheese. In the middle of breakfast, he looked up at me and asked if we had a park at our house. His mommy and daddy take him to the park at his house frequently. They enjoy the outdoors, and he meets friends from the neighborhood. Being 3 years old, I knew he meant did we have a park within walking distance of our house.

Yes we do

As a matter of fact, yes, we have a beautiful park at my house. My kids grew up in that park and played baseball and soccer for many years. It is owned by the city and has been maintained with new equipment regularly. They have slides, climbers, swings, police cars, and dinosaurs. They even have a splash pad for the kids in the very warm weather. I wish I had a nickel for every time I walked to that park because I’d be a millionaire.

Can I go there?

It would be too far for me to walk now, even with my walker. I was taken back a bit upon hearing his request because ever since he was a baby I filled my backyard and his bedroom with things to play with at my house. It is beyond my purview for my husband and me to think of taking him out somewhere. We don’t even have a car seat for him but other than that, I couldn’t think of any good reason why he could not go.

How can I manage?

The grandson walks everywhere, and I know it wouldn’t be too far for him. I scrambled my brain trying to think of a way to get us both to the park but alas, I realized that it was all for naught. I had to sit this one out. He and Pappa got dressed and went to the park without me. I watched them from my front window as they walked down the street and vowed to come up with a solution.

The solution

The solution seemed obvious. If I wanted to go to the park with my little man, I had to get some motorized wheels. A mobility scooter seemed to be the right answer. I would need to do some research as I knew nothing about mobility scooters. Asking around in my support group brought many suggestions of the kinds of mobility scooters, their capacity, and weights. Turns out there is a lot to know about mobility scooters. The one you should get depends on where you plan to go with it and what you can spend on it.

I was looking for something light enough to travel in a car, and I only intend to use it on the sidewalk. I thought about a golf cart like everyone uses in Florida, but I settled on a lightweight boomer buggy and felt it would serve my needs.

Editor’s Note: We are extremely saddened to say that on January 7th, 2024, Barbara Moore passed away. Barbara’s advocacy efforts and writing continue to reach many. She will be deeply missed.