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A change in circumstance

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By Mike Bayles | Saturday, March 01, 2008 |

A change in circumstances came after a neighbor upstairs went to the hospital for an asthma attack. A pan of cooking oil left on a heated 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 back into the old apartment, I grabbed just enough clothes and essentials to get by for a few days. 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. In subsequent trips, I gathered my books, CDs, mementos and my manuscripts. The acrid smell of smoke stung my eyes. Sometimes I could barely breathe as I sorted through items collected over 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.

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.

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 examine the breadth of my existence, the belief in the worth of a well-examined life.

Mike Bayles

Davenport