I have been a resident of Denver for most of my sixty-five years of life. It has been a good life. I am not complaining about life in Denver. I have no desire to move to another state. I have vacationed in many areas of the U.S, I have been in Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Vienna, and Hungary. These visits have given me a broad overview of other parts of this world and America. Life in Denver is not a perfect world. There are some things that make me wonder why I stay in Denver.

For example, I am retired, over sixty-five and a member of Silver Sneakers. This is an exercise and fitness program through my Medicare Advantage health insurance coverage. However, I must drive about five miles to Englewood Recreation Center or the Bear Valley YMCA to use their facilities. Denver Parks and Recreation does not participate in this senior program. If I want to use the Denver Recreation Center six blocks away I must pay to use it. Obviously I go outside of Denver for my exercise.

To experience some cultural enjoyment my wife and have been season ticket holders at Town Hall Arts Center in Littleton, (link). We have attended some performances at Denver Center for the Performing Arts. In my opinion parking is a pain and overpriced. The seating in the theatre is crammed to close together and with my long legs I could not get very comfortable. I am not saying I will never go down there again, but I am saying, it will have to be something special to even consider going down there again.

Denver has an ordinance that walks must be shoveled twenty-fours after it stops snowing. A house next to me has been vacant since March and the walks have not been touched since the first time it started to snow this winter. There are at least five houses near me that have not shown any attempt of clearing the sidewalks. Two days after the snow stops the city sends a snowplow down the street. Unfortunately the plow pushes the snow onto the sidewalk that I had nicely shoveled. Now I must remove an eight-inch high snow windrow from the sidewalk.

Recently, I read in the newspaper that 100,000 people have moved into Colorado in 2007. I don't have an exact figure but in the neighborhood I live in there are quite a few homes that have been foreclosed and vacant. Just as many are up for rent and vacant. These new people sure aren't moving in this neighborhood. I know what direction my property value is going.

In September I wrote a story about Natural Vegetation -or- Weeds . After the first freeze these tumbleweeds blew into my yard. My back fence looked like a dust bowl scene with tumbleweeds piled high. It was on my property; I had to clean it up.

During the summer we have the windows open. I don't have air conditioning. Every night around 2 a.m. to 3 a.m. my bladder needs attention. After attending to my bladder, it may take thirty minutes or more before I go back to sleep. Many times I hear someone blasting away with his or her handgun. The bars close at 2 a.m. and I am speculating someone is just feeling their alcohol and shooting in the air. Are we going to be victims of violence some day?

I could continue to vent about other events in Denver life. I think these six examples show that Denver life is not the land of perfect. Why do I stay in Denver? As I get older, I am beginning to ask this question more and more all the time. I guess the main reason I don't make a move, is that I am comfortable in this Denver life. Nothing has pushed me over the edge. Another reason is the real estate market in this area. I am sure my value of our property is higher than what we could actually get out of it. Another large factor is that my wife has lived here for over forty years and convincing her to move will be a monumental task. With all this in mind, I will probably live in Denver until I am unable to maintain and keep up our Denver home. I feel a part of happiness is accepting your situation and making the best of it.