RBC I Living in the northwest corner of Colorado for only part of a lifetime gives one a different perspective about distance. Those old sayings people use to describe the proximity of a place often didn’t work. There seemed to be few places that could be described to be just up the road “a piece” or anywhere that could be described as a “hop, skip, or a jump away.”
Growing up in the midwest in a small town, I got used to climbing in the car to run quick errands with my older brothers or sisters. At most, it meant a 10 minute drive around town.
If the car trips were too long, I opted out. Later, driving my own children around, I got used to the longer distances and didn’t mind road trips.
Home range is much more expansive for westerners. It doesn’t feel like far if It becomes routine. The time spent, as well as distance traveled, seems shorter somehow. Perspective about distance is certainly tied into space.
During this pandemic, the word distance has been used so often, it is used hardly at all as a geographic description. Six feet is the measurement for maintaining appropriate social distance from each other. That feels like far when we are all going the distance. Far enough!
By DOLLY VISCARDI | Special to the Herald Times
