crisis

It seems to me that the whole world is in crisis lately. Cyclones, tornadoes, immigration raids ripping families apart, earthquakes, floods. Natural and unnatural disasters are shaking the core of everything that's supposed to hold us up.

Two nights ago, my roommates and I decided to channel our inner children and frolic in the downpour. It was lovely. We played a rousing round of wet t-shirt stomach percussion, and stomped gaily in the deepest puddles we could find. And then last night, the gaiety took on a somber edge as the water in the reservoir threatened to breach the spillway for only the second time in its history. So we took up arms and sandbagged to keep the floods at bay.

I just got off the phone with my brother-in-law in Mason City, where the floods aren't at bay. Rather, they're at basement. Everyone's basement, accompanied by a foot of sewer sludge (and no running water to boot). Untold amounts of ew.

My stepfather came home today from the hospital, where they found that his right coronary artery was 100% clogged and he's in chronic atrial fibrillation. That's not good news, though they treated it as well as they could. Don't smoke, people.

A colleague's wife got a great new job, so they're moving, but they can't sell their house and can't afford two mortgages. They're stuck.

I'm at a friend's house right now, and she has a gorgeous, perfect newborn baby girl. Not a crisis, but definitely a good bit of upheaval in their lives right now!

And my own bedroom reflects my current state of mind: everything's packed away in boxes-- well-labeled yet never locatable when I need it. And somehow, even though everything's packed, it's still spread out all over the floor. My poor mostly-blind kitty is in a constant state of agitation. I think I myself am more stressed out that I consciously notice, because my digestive juices have gone all wonky again. Hopefully the good docs can patch me up soon.

In many ways, I am feeling great, and in other ways, I'm just trying to hold myself together until I'm all in one place again. And my heart aches for the whole world of pain that seems to be everywhere lately.