Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Who Needs Nice Stuff Anyway?

For years, I've had moments of discontentment about various things around my household, and in those moments I've longed to live in the pages of my Pottery Barn catalog. Today, however, makes me so glad I don't actually have very nice stuff. The Santa Ana's are in full force, and the hillside fires that always seem to affect only people you don't actually know are now only 2 miles away. They've actually evacuated parts of my little city of Somis. The fires are 20% contained, the smoke is thick, helicopters are circling, and there's ash in my driveway. There is an actual possibility that we could be evacuated should the fires jump the 118 freeway and head our way.

In light of that, I went from room to room in my house and looked around for things I might want to take with us, should we have to leave. Suddenly, I was grateful that I didn't have a Williams Sonoma kitchen or an Ethan Allen inspired study full of books and framed antiques. The truth is we just need a few bags of clothing and essentials, my box of photos/baby albums/and birth certificates, and our computer.

Actually, I'm most concerned about all of my files I use for the classes I teach. Those classes are a compilation of years of accumulated worksheets and assignments I've written, and I really would hate to lose them, but as far as material things go, I don't have much I would miss so, halleluliah! Who needs nice stuff anyway?

6 comments:

Coleson & Tate said...

oh no! prayers the fires stop! (but you are right, too. great perspective and reminder!)

Rachel said...

The conditions we have in CA right now are very worrying for wildfires. Praying for you and your family.

Jen said...

I HATE fire season in CA. I'm praying you don't have to evacuate and they can contain those fires. If you do have to evacuate, there's a nice, empty condo in San Diego that's all yours.

Rachel said...

Just wondering if you guys are ok, is the fire more contained now?

Haberly said...

Yeah, nice things are better left in your head. Having little kids is another reason why... a fire, well, that just settles it! So, is that the fire that was started by a pile of poop? Hope everything is quenched quickly.

Elisha said...

I am glad the fires seem to be moving away from you :) - I remember doing the same thing two years ago - seeing the fire about 2 miles away, yet in clear view of the hill across the street and taking inventory and thinking, "I'm really glad we don't have very nice things" that and I'm really glad that after the 3rd condo in this complex burned down due to negligence we got fire insurance :)