Got schooled by a retiree at the Bothell library board meeting

Last month I went to the Bothell community board meeting at the library downtown, mostly to complain about the new crosswalk placement on Main Street. This older guy named Bill, probably 70 or so, sat next to me and asked why I was so fired up. I told him the city wasted $15,000 on a crosswalk nobody uses. He just nodded and then said something that hit me different - he pointed out that the crosswalk was really for the blind lady who lives on the corner and has to cross to get her mail. I never even thought about it that way. I was so stuck on the cost that I missed the whole point of why they put it there. It made me realize I need to listen more at these meetings instead of just showing up ready to argue. Has anyone else had a moment like that where a stranger changed your mind on a local issue?

3 comments

3 Comments

parkera221mo ago

My neighbor Deborah is legally blind and she got a new curb cut on 188th Street last year. I was annoyed at first because I thought it was just another waste of construction money. Then one rainy morning I saw her crossing there with her white cane and it clicked for me. She told me later that the old curb was broken and she tripped twice before they fixed it. I felt pretty small after that for sure. It really changes how you see local stuff when you actually talk to the people who need it.

evan_wilson1829d ago

Good on you for being honest about that initial frustration. Next time you're wondering about a local project, just ask the people around you who actually use it daily. A quick five minute chat with a neighbor can save you weeks of being annoyed about something you don't fully understand.

josephbutler12d ago

That whole story about Deborah really drives it home. I was reading an article just last week about how many curb cuts originally got installed in the 1970s after disability advocates pushed for them. People don't realize those cuts aren't just for wheelchairs. Parents with strollers, delivery guys with hand trucks, even skateboarders use them every single day. Have you talked to Deborah about what other small changes in the neighborhood have made a big difference for her?