Wildfire

I keep hearing more stories about the fires that nearly destroyed Cross Plains, Tx. People had hardly enough time to get out with the clothes on their backs. Two women didn't get out. People were all scrambling around to help each other, many total strangers, but in a small town most knew each other. I heard that people were going into others' houses and snatching family pictures off the walls or anything that they thought would be important. They got these things to safe places for the families that couldn't make it home on time. A man who ran a wrecking company already knew his house was gone, but put his wrecker to use pulling cars out of carports or just away from buildings, where they might not burn. Almost all of the stories reflect the love those people had for each other and the kindness of strangers and passers-by.

But some stories are painful to hear: A family left quickly when the fire was up to the edge of their yard. They returned shortly afterwards, thankful that only one wall was partly burned. The next day they came back and the place had been looted! Rumors that some of the fires had been intentionally set. A few days later one of my co-workers was driving in to work from out that direction and saw the person in the car ahead of her flick a cigarette out the window. This could have easily set another fire in the horribly dry grass at the road side.

Our neighborhood is bordered by mesquite thickets and dry grass. Only a hundred yards or so of this is between us and the interstate. It has occurred to me many times lately that someone could easily burn down our entire neighborhood with one careless flick of a cigarette.
So last night the local news broke into the programming and announced that there was a large grass fire in that all-too-nearby area. I started packing. I didn't even smell smoke, but the wind was blowing 30 or 40 mph from that direction. I got my largest suitcase full of several changes of clothing for both of us. I put all my photo albums in another. Both in the trunk of my car.

This is probably over-reacting, but I felt better. Better safe than sorry.
All this got me really looking around at the THINGS around me. I wonder what I would miss most if it burned down. My books. My clothes. My collection of music books and sheet music. Family pictures all over the house that probably wouldn't be gathered in a hurry. Our furniture. My dishes. This computer. Just the things I have spent all these years accumulating.

I already thought I had thinned the clutter with that garage sale in October, but I still have so much in excess of the necessities of life. Last night was good for me. Taking a mental inventory of my blessings. Realizing what is most important to me. Realizing how much more I have than I need. Those few changes of clothes in the trunk of my car may just stay there until wetter weather. I have plenty more in the house. Interesting to think about. So many people all over the world have not even as much all together as I have in the trunk of my car.