Growing old in a small town

The New York Times has a great piece on their website about growing old in rural America, where even the nearest small town can be a long haul away.

Mr. Burgess, who has lived and worked for most of his 96 years in Wyoming and Nebraska as a hired farmhand and in later years as a machinist, still drives his truck almost every day into Torrington, Wyo., about eight miles from his home, for a hot lunch at the senior center.

But his driver’s license expires in January, and he is deeply worried that he might not pass the test this time around.

The article paints a warm, rich portrait of old folks trying to make life work at the end of their days, with spouses gone, children moved away, and government programs shrinking.

It’s a story that rings as true here in the North Country as in Wyoming or Nebraska.