I met Bob Shimeld only once, several years ago, on a bus. We chatted for all of 15 minutes, if that, but the conversation stuck with me. I never forgot him.
It was a summer morning in Longview, Texas, and the bus picked up Shimeld in front of a Walmart store on the north side. Boarding took longer than usual because the driver had to get up and help Shimeld with his electric wheelchair. The back of his chair, I noticed, had been decorated with a Massachusetts novelty license plate that read B-O-B, for Bob.
Shimeld said he moved from the Northeast about five years earlier to escape the winters in his home state. “If you stay still too long, your wheelchair will freeze to the ground,” he joked. “No snow tires for a wheelchair.”
He claimed to have thrown a dart at a map of Texas. The dart hit Longview, so that’s where he went. He liked the place. The people were friendly. He was a 72-year-old military veteran who described his days as “a lot of sitting around,” which was easy enough to do in a wheelchair.
I got off the bus a few stops after Shimeld boarded, and I never saw him again. After that day, I also never got back on the bus. When I am in East Texas and need to make a grocery run, or want to go to a restaurant or anywhere else, I hop in my Jeep or ride with someone else. Our cities are built for getting around with a car. My only reason for riding the bus on that day was to visit with the passengers of Longview Transit for a story that appeared in the newspaper.
The passengers I met included elderly retirees who could no longer drive safely. Other passengers worked the kinds of low-paying jobs that help keep the rest of our lives running smoothly: a grocery store cashier, for example, and a hairdresser with epilepsy. One man named John Solomon had just finished his shift scrubbing dishes at one of my favorite Mexican restaurants. His hands, wrists and forearms were peeling badly from the soapy water, but he hadn’t noticed. He was traveling home to spend the evening with his young son and daughter.
Most of the people I met that day were dealing with less-than-ideal circumstances, but they were upbeat and optimistic about their futures. They had jobs and homes, and they talked about their determination to better their lives. They seemed to make Longview a richer place. Somehow they managed to do it all without a vehicle, a complication that most of us would never consider.
That was in 2009. Shimeld died on Dec. 16. I read about his death in the newspaper. He was trying to cross McCann Road near a busy intersection not far from K-Mart when a pickup turned onto the road and struck him.
The News-Journal reported that Shimeld was the sixth pedestrian killed in the city in 2014. That’s three times the average death rate for pedestrians in Texas, the paper also reported. A subsequent editorial described the “grim realities of the danger while walking” and noted that municipal officials are aware of the problem and are planning to address it in the city’s next comprehensive plan. Well, good.
Where Shimeld died, the intersection does not have a crosswalk. Lots of the city’s intersections don’t, because so few people need them. But some do. People like Shimeld. I’ll try not to forget that.
12,118 responses to “On the death of one man”
Good job!
Hello, i think that i saw you visited my weblog so i came to return the want?.I’m
attempting to to find issues to improve my site!I guess its good enough to make use of some of your concepts!!
What a stuff of un-ambiguity and preserveness of precious know-how about unexpected emotions.
I just like the valuable information you supply in your articles. I will bookmark your weblog and take a look at again here frequently. I am reasonably sure I will be told many new stuff right right here! Best of luck for the following!
Fine way of describing, and good article to take facts on the topic of my presentation focus, which i am going to present in college.|
Awesome article.|
My brother suggested I may like this website. He was once totally right. This publish truly made my day. You can not believe just how a lot time I had spent for this info! Thank you!|
I all the time used to study article in news papers but now as I am a user
of net so from now I am using net for articles,
thanks to web.
Thanks on your marvelous posting! I certainly enjoyed reading it, you
happen to be a great author. I will remember to bookmark
your blog and will often come back later in life.
I want to encourage you continue your great posts,
have a nice morning!
Subsequently, some buyers might not consider them to be the best place to take a position 30K.
Great delivery. Sound arguments. Keep up the amazing effort.
Right now it looks like BlogEngine is the preferred blogging platform out there right now. (from what I’ve read) Is that what you’re using on your blog?|
A fascinating discussion is worth comment. I do believe that you should write more on this subject matter,
it may not be a taboo subject but typically people don’t speak about such topics.
To the next! Many thanks!!
The buying and selling a part of it takes on the buying and selling with a wide range of financial instruments to provide a unfold or commission which is the variation between purchase and selling worth.
Thanks so much for giving everyone a very splendid chance to discover important secrets from this web site. It really is so useful and jam-packed with a lot of fun for me personally and my office mates to search your blog at a minimum three times in 7 days to learn the latest issues you have got. And lastly, I’m so certainly impressed with the astounding inspiring ideas you give. Some 3 tips in this post are in reality the most suitable I have ever had.
Estimates are provided for the historic 2005 to 2009 period and forecasts are provided through 2014.
????????????? ?????? — ??? ?????? ??????, ??????? ????? ???????? ? ???? ??? ???????, ??? ? ?????? ???????.
? ??????????? ???? ?????? ??????? ???? ??????????????, ??????? ????? ?????? ?? ? ????????? ?????? ?????:
?? ??????-??????????? ?? ?????????? ?????? – [url=https://eskortmoskva.ru/ ]?????? ??????[/url]
In response to an estimate from Inverse, those jumps work out to traveling the gap of 183 gentle-years per second.
???????????? ??????? ??????????? ????? ???????? ??????? ? ????????, ??? ?????? ??? ????????? ??? ????????, ??????? ? ?????? – [url=http://niv.ru/public/989/stroitelstvo-gruntovyh-dorog/]????????? ????????????? ????????? ?????[/url]
Saved as a favorite, I love your website!
Would you need to know in case your man was about to propose to you?
This site was… how do I say it? Relevant!! Finally
I have found something which helped me. Kudos!
Hi I am so delighted I found your weblog, I really found
you by error, while I was looking on Google for
something else, Anyways I am here now and would just like to say thanks for a remarkable post and a all round interesting blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to go through it all at the minute but I have saved it and also added in your RSS feeds, so when I have
time I will be back to read much more, Please do keep up
the superb work.
Thank you for another magnificent post. Where else could anybody get that type of info in such a perfect way of writing? I have a presentation next week, and I’m on the look for such info.
It’s really a great and useful piece of information. I
am happy that you simply shared this helpful information with us.
Please stay us up to date like this. Thank you for sharing.
Clearly, effective urban planning will be critical to the success of our planet.
A time period of greater than 24 months normally takes approximately six months value of curiosity as early withdrawal charges and penalties.
Designing clear public routes that are properly-lit and simply navigable helps management access and prevent unauthorized entry to non-public areas.
I just like the helpful info you provide on your articles. I?ll bookmark your blog and test again here frequently. I am moderately sure I will learn many new stuff proper right here! Good luck for the following!
Great post!
Nice read!
Well written!
Awesome insights!
Wow, amazing weblog structure! How lengthy have you ever been blogging for?
you make blogging look easy. The total look of your website is excellent,
let alone the content material!
Hi there Dear, are you truly visiting this web page regularly, if so after that
you will definitely take nice experience.
Spot on with this write-up, I really believe that this web site needs a lot more attention. I’ll probably be returning to read through more, thanks for the info!
Excellent post. I was checking continuously this blog and I am impressed! Very useful info specifically the remaining part 🙂 I care for such information much. I used to be looking for this particular info for a very lengthy time. Thank you and best of luck. |
For newest information you have to pay a quick visit internet and on internet I found this web site as a most excellent site for most up-to-date updates.|
wonderful points altogether, you just gained a logo new reader.
What would you recommend in regards to your publish that you just made
a few days in the past? Any positive?
Way cool! Some very valid points! I appreciate you writing this post plus the rest of the site is very good.|
Your method of describing everything in this piece of writing is in fact pleasant, all be able to easily understand it, Thanks a lot.|
It takes ability and a gentle hand to create these nail decorations.
Do you have a spam issue on this blog; I also am a blogger, and I was curious about your situation; we have developed some nice practices and we are looking to exchange strategies with others, be sure to shoot me an email if interested.|
Do you have a spam issue on this website; I also am a blogger,
and I was wondering your situation; many of us have developed some nice procedures and we are looking
to swap solutions with other folks, be sure to shoot me an e-mail if interested.
Have you ever considered creating an ebook or guest authoring on other websites? I have a blog based upon on the same topics you discuss and would really like to have you share some stories/information. I know my visitors would value your work. If you’re even remotely interested, feel free to shoot me an e mail.
????????????? ?????? — ??? ?????? ??????, ??????? ????? ???????? ? ???? ??? ???????, ??? ? ?????? ???????.
? ??????????? ???? ?????? ??????? ???? ??????????????, ??????? ????? ?????? ?? ? ????????? ?????? ?????:
?? ??????-??????????? ?? ?????????? ?????? – [url=https://eskortmoskva.ru/ ]?????? ??????[/url]
This will be a great web site, might you be interested in doing an interview about how you developed it? If so e-mail me!
Appreciate the recommendation. Let me try it out.
Your style is unique in comparison to other people
I have read stuff from. Many thanks for posting when you have the opportunity, Guess I will just book mark this page.
I absolutely love your site.. Pleasant colors & theme. Did you build this web site yourself?
Please reply back as I’m hoping to create my
very own blog and would love to learn where you got this from or what the theme is called.
Cheers!