Excitement Not Wanted

Yesterday held a bit of excitement neither my wife nor I, nor any others, wanted!

A wildfire began very near our apartment complex and blackened most of the hillside just west of us. Because of our asthma, we headed up the mountain to my daughter's and spent the night there. Fortunately the fire was declared out last night, so we will attempt to return.

I say attempt because if the smoke smell is very bad, I'll send my wife back up the mountain while I take care of the new bookcases we bought yesterday. Those I made many years ago are simply too big to move in. The new ones need to be assembled and filled. The old will eventually come up the mountain to my daughter's house.

I am excited because the store where I will be working is starting to get enough equipment in it to look like a store about to open rather than one that closed. I'll start working there on Friday, continuing the set up. We will have an open house the day before we open.

The life lessons in this tale? Simply that we need to be able to adapt to the situation - as in our response to the wildfire; we need to remember that our rubber-necking can cause major difficulties to those who need to get away from danger as well as hindering those trying to help those in need; and that there is excitement and joy even in situations that require us to work - if we are willing to look for it, accept it, and be honest with ourselves. There can also be disappointments when information shared proves woefully inadequate or incorrect, but life goes on and so should we.

Peace!