Becky Says...

February 2007

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Things Happen - February 18

I've been thinking a lot about the man on Long Island who died at home watching television and was not found for a year. I've seen the Newsday article linked several places; and I'm a little horrified at some of the comments.

Something a bit similar (only a few days passed) happened to a friend of mine in 1984, and to an acquaintance in 2000. In both cases, these women were known, at least casually, to their neighbors, but weren't in such poor health that anyone was deliberately looking out for them. Nobody local had missed them.

And the same thing could happen to me.

My neighbors don't know me that well. If I were relying only on people locally to notice, I could be dead a while. I don't keep regular enough schedule of being anywhere at specific times these days that an absence would be noticed before several weeks had passed.

It could be the (worst) case that only if I didn't pay the rent and eviction proceedings were carried out would I be found. The mail carrier might notice that the box was full, but this is such a transient area it might just be assumed that a forwarding notice would be forthcoming.

Note that I'm talking about dead, not ill or injured. I figure I could make enough noise that someone would notice, even if for some reason I couldn't reach a telephone. And I have several telephones, what with land line and cell, so I could probably call for help.

I don't dwell on this, by the way. I am just aware that it could happen. And if it does, do me a favor, please. Don't start badmouthing people who didn't find me for a while. It won't be anyone's fault. These things happen.

Text © copyright 2000-2007 Becky