I find I must respond to Evelyn Spence's somewhat arrogant and self-serving essay on RV owners (HCN, 10/15/07). There are as many reasons why people choose to camp with RVs as there are people who own them. What you don't understand is that many of us are not camping all of the time. Sometimes we are traveling to a destination or touring. We much prefer the beauty and serenity of our national forests and state parks to a cheap motel.

If I were to sleep on the ground, I hope you are nearby to help my aching, creaking joints up in the morning. I'm sorry my ambient light disturbs you, but I'm afraid these old eyes need a little help in negotiating the dark paths. I'm sure you would not want to be responsible for my twisting an ankle or worse, a broken limb in the dark.

I cannot believe you heard so many generators in a campground that probably has electricity. Even if it did not have hook-ups, most of us prefer not to use the gasoline to power a generator unless we are in a remote area for several days, and then we try to be considerate about the times we actually run it.

TV? Many of us remove the television from its space in favor of more important things like books or games and puzzles for the grandchildren when they travel with us.

Does this mean that because of arthritic joints, fading eyesight and recalcitrant ears, we must give up a lifetime of enjoying the outdoors and all that nature has to offer us? I think not.

I would like to see you put away your essay for 35 or 40 years, then take it out and reread it. That is, if you can remember where you put it!

Cynthia Monck
Rye, Colorado