What am I thinking??

How can I imagine that anybody cares about what I have to say? Perhaps they don't and I will be the only one to ever read Piece of Mind. However, this seems to be the thing to do lately, and I like to stay up-to-date, so here goes.....

We had a tornado last week. It wiped out most of the dormitory space at the college where I teach, and narrowly missed my neighborhood. It did not leave us totally unscathed, but at least my neighbors and I are all in our own houses, albeit with some roof damage, a lot of tree damage, and loss of some outbuildings. I know I'm tempting fate, but I can't help but think that if just enough of my 35 year old handyman's delight had been damaged, I might not have to worry about selling out before I move to Texas this summer. But my house was spared, and I am really thanking God that my cat and I still have a home and that I don't have to deal with sorting through my things to see what can be salvaged and grieving over my albums and other things that might have been lost.

I saw what the storm did to the student residences when I worked on campus Sunday afternoon to bag up and label the salvageable belongings of students. I found myself wondering how the students felt about this or that belonging, and bagging things with an eye to how relieved the girl would be when she opened the bag to find her personal things saved. More importantly, I found myself marveling that no lives were lost in the destruction I witnessed. Whole walls were blown out, and bedding and furniture were lying on the ground outside the dorm. I saw futon mattresses and comforters and furniture turned over in an effort to provide shelter for the girls huddled in the room during the storm. I empathized with the parents whose terrified children were texting and calling from the rubble.

Selling my house doesn't seem quite so daunting when I put it all into perspective.