[Faith-talk] Advice for Shikha

[Paul Smith]

Hello Shikha.  Paul here from Baltimore Maryland giving you what 
hopefully will be some good advice, even though I've not been in your 
situation.

As for your parents not wanting you to go alone to your friend's 
wedding, please remind them in a loving way that they won't be around 
forever, and then, once they are gone how are you going to cope by 
yourself, not only in traveling but in other aspects of daily life.  
Although not directly answering your situation, when I started working 
as a medical transcriber back in April 1970 we were living in the 
country then, and Dad took me into work until we moved to our present 
location.  For him this was a distance of approximately 72 miles a day, 
taking me in to work, going back home and then going to fetch me and 
back home again.  When we moved to our present location he insisted on 
doing the same thing, even though my practical and wise Mom told him 
that he wouldn't be around forever, he being the only driver.  Well, in 
October of 1972 I finally got up the courage of learning the Baltimore 
public transit system insofar as going to and from work was concerned, 
although for the first week Dad surreptitiously drove to where I would 
disembark from the bus just to make sure that I got to the bus stop 
safely.  Anyway after a while he resigned himself to the fact that "my 
boy," as he referred to me, could travel independently on my own.

I hope that gives you some loving ammunition for your parents.  As to 
cheap travel to where your friend lives in Maryland, depending on where 
they live in our state, probably the best way to travel might be via 
Amtrak.  Did you know that they provide a 15% discount for disabled 
passengers, depending, of course, on where your friend lives.

In conclusion, Shikah, I will pray that you can independently travel to 
your friend's wedding and that the marriage will last a good long time 
without too many arguments to cause one or the other to file for 
divorce.  Your concerned Christian friend, Paul in Baltimore