The Treasure Hunter

Der friends in the outside world,

Do you realize that life in a place where you have no family is more difficult than working at a hard job?  Although I have been living  well in Philadelphia for almost a year, I am now more lonely than someone in prison.  Yesterday at our building all  group activities were cancelled; no games, no group exercises, and no getting together  with other people to watch a movie in the auditorium. Right now the only way we may to communicate is by using our phones.  Unfortunately that is more difficult for me than   for others because I don’t remember their names.  So I can’t call their phones and talk to them.  Fortunately, I  remembered one person’s name last night and  I called her.  We talked for some time and she was very helpful. We pledged to talk again today.

I must end my complaining by assuring you that I am in better shape than I expected.  . Although I am  very bored, I am eating, drinking, bathing, and changing my cloths regularly. I have even been able to take a daily walk out doors. And I determined to survive. The only way you can help me is to communicate and suggest anything else I could do.  I have television, but almost everything on it is news.  So far the only other stuff is junk.

If you have any  advice for me I would appreciate it.  I would be pleased to play games with you if I am able to do so on my computer.

Thanks for listening to my complaining.  I can’t think of anything else to do right now.

Today’s message is several months old, but I did not post it back then.  Since I haven’t written anything recently I am sending  this old one now.  If you aren’t interested, just skip it and don’t complain to me.

Some months ago my son and I drove into a big city that I had never seen before because I have ben a small town resident for most of my life. Imedietely I was overwhelmed by such a noisy, crowded and dirty city for the first time and later I had a lot of trouble later getting around in it 

But I should have been prepared for that shock, because I had already read newspaper articles about the great poverty and violence going on in large cities across the country. They weren’t caused by criminals trying to take over a city but by new buildings and fast growing populations with inadequate housing and low-paying jobs. If what I had been reading in newspapers was accurate, those conditions were not going to get any better in the future.

What bothers me most about the mess in big cities is that I lived in smaller cities with businesses and had no problems. For instance, in Portland there is Nike, a company that has been making and selling their products for years and hasen’t damaged the city at all because it built outside  the town rather than inside it. Why haven’t other cities done the same? 

Well, there is an answer to that question. In most instances companies decided to move into a city because it is the most attractive and convenient place for their employees and buyers. And the fact that problems were created for shoppers and walkers just didn’t matter.

Although “what is done, is done”, there is plenty of space in our country for businesses to make better choices and serve everyone well. Although distant areas may be more expensive than nearby ones, they could provide better living for rural people and their children.

Dear frends,

On top of yesterday’s problems, someone here has become sick, so we are all confined to our apartments. I have food, water, television, my cat and this computer, but no one to talk to. or any knew information.  I  am well, but lonely.  So I would appreciate messages from anyone and any advice for me to stay awake and hopeful.

Joanne Yatvin

P.S. If you have any suggestion of something I could write about please let me  know.