Thursday, May 28, 2009

Limbo

Less than a week before the moving truck comes. Are we on track for being packed up and ready? It's hard to know without some kind of systems analysis, a flow chart... actually it just seems like chaos right now. The "staging area" is filled with boxes - some packed and stacked neatly, the others empty and lying haphazardly, surrounded by packing paper and bubble wrap. The cats find new hiding places everyday, and when we're looking for just the right size box we often see a furry head looking sleepily up at us. I walk from room to room - what should be packed next? The living room is completely packed, except of course for the all important TV, with random books, magazines, and newspapers strewn around. The kitchen is virtually untouched. Is this because its contents are so necessary or because it is completely overwhelming to contemplate emptying the cupboards? We're in limbo right now, between two lives. I'd rather just go to work but there is no turning back now. We'd better get it in gear because when we get to the new place we will have to hit the ground running. New church, new jobs, new schools, new libraries... no time to waste.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Moving

What can I say about moving? This is my 17th move in my 47 years, and it never gets any easier - in fact it gets harder. Those who move a lot have no illusions about what we are leaving behind. It's easy to say "lets keep in touch", "I'll visit often", "we'll email", "I'll see you on Facebook", etc. But what you leave behind is gone forever, with only remnants left. This is why those who have moved a lot have trouble creating emotional attachments - self preservation.

But that is only the negative side. We are always moving toward something, learning new things, meeting new and interesting people, and discovering exciting challenges. Everything we didn't like about our old situation can be left behind! We can make a new start and recreate whatever we don't like about ourselves. We have a blank page to write on, and we can learn from old mistakes.

Although I am heartsick about leaving my friends and colleagues, I am excited about new places and people. And there are always libraries - big or small, public or academic, they will sustain me.