Lehigh Valley drive time

As every dweller of the Lehigh Valley knows, especially those living within the fast paced yet residentially comfortable urban belt we call the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton metro area, the valley has become the best of both worlds.

Quieter and less hectic than a larger urban center like New York or Philly, it still offers things a small rural area does not.

I moved to the Lehigh Valley like so many other new residents I suspect because I found a better paying job nearby and because of other benefits besides the plethora of restaurants and supermarkets or the ability to order a wide variety of food from Chinese to Italian delivered right to your door.

No, I’m also talking about a better school for my son, a shorter commute for my wife, closer access to first rate medical services etc.

Of course, all of this comes with a price.

My commute taking me outside the metro belt every day can vary depending on what office I’m traveling to.

The trip may take from 40 minutes to nearly an hour and may involve either snarled slower traffic on Route 309 or Route 29 or more high speed and hair-raising cruises along Route 22 and Interstate 78.

The commutes came to mind again recently when reading about the plight of Shaun Buenzly, 23, of West Chester.

Buenzly died in the early morning hours of Sunday when the car in which he was riding along Route 22 in Whitehall Township lost control striking some trees and a house.

We can bring up all the platitudes we want about the importance of safe driving.

Pennlive.com reports the car, driven by an Allentown man, may have been speeding at the time.

But it doesn’t matter. Whether danger comes from the carelessness of another driver or from violent crime, another thing probably less prevalent in the rural community where I once lived, there are certainly real dangers.

And that’s O.K. Life is about risk. I worry about the traffic and the potential violence like I’m sure I would if someday I contemplate taking an even better job in an even bigger city—maybe with better educational and other opportunities than I can find here.

I don’t wish I was back in my old job, back in my old town, back on my old half hour commute no matter what the risks.

Life should be about moving forward not backward. Someday when things slow down for my family maybe I’ll move back to the rural lifestyle I was accustomed to for so long.

But it won’t be fear that sends me there.

Shawn Hessinger is a contributing editor to the PostRanger.com network and Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton Metro News. Contact him at idea_man68@yahoo.com.