CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES
My latest change in circumstances came after a neighbor upstairs went to the hospital for an asthma attack. A pan of cooking oil left on a turned on stove caught fire. Although the fire was confined to his apartment, smoke forced all residents to move. As we waited in the parking lot for the Red Cross, I wondered where I would stay, and thought about how much life can change in less than a half hour’s time.
When first let into the old apartment, I grabbed just enough clothes and essentials to get by for a few days, while staying in a motel room, allowing myself to be pampered. After the landlord found another apartment for me, the real work began.
Trip after trip, I returned to the old apartment, first getting clothes and things essential for my daily life. In subsequent trips, I gathered my books, CD’s, mementos and my manuscripts. The acrid smell of smoke stung my eyes, and sometimes I could barely breathe as I sorted through items collected over a period of years. I dug through newspapers saved for clippings of articles and pictures, and threw them away. I saved some personal items and threw away some to make my move easier. I decided to keep the furniture in good shape, and to discard the furniture worn by years of living in one place.
Mementos from my childhood, from college days and from some of my favorite jobs reminded me of the many things I enjoyed. Photos left by my parents tied me to my family life, lived in three different states, lived in town and in rural areas, and times that shaped my life. Through decisions made, of what to save, and what to discard, I learned what was important to me.
I rediscovered my belief in moving, to examind the breadth of my existence, the belief in the worth of a well-examined life.
Mike Bayles
