Good Things

This post was originally titled "Stuff Happens" and the intent was to go on about the struggles of the past week. The short version is that I was rear-ended by someone driving a pickup truck over a week ago, and I had to deal with the process of making myself whole again; the car sustained about $1200 estimated damages and there was a chance my coverage was not going to cover all that because the car was stolen and was being driven by an uninsured motorist. Then this week I had to begin attending a mandatory class that's been described as being extremely dull by people who've taken the class previously.

Let's make it clear, the last 10 days have sucked; besides the worry and stress, I was also dealing with the physical trauma expressed in tension headaches, etc. and more than anything, I found myself struggling with whether I should employ a P.I. attorney for damages. About ten years ago, someone made a left turn in front of me and I t-boned them. I was awarded $2500 in damages. I decided it against it and decided to trust that things would work out without me trying to squeeze money out of someone through the legal system.

Yesterday I reached an arrangement with my landlord so that I could reduce my rent down to only $200 a month by helping him 6 hours a week building up his internet presence. And the class I've been required to attend has been a pleasant surprise. Not only has the facilitator been helpful, we've been released when the material has been covered and not been required to stay through the three hours allotted for the class. But the best surprise has been the interaction with other people required to take this class; a camaraderie has quickly formed and we are volunteering helpful bits of information in response to hearing of everyone else's situations. This strengthens my resolve to work towards getting the funds to create a community center in anticipation of the consequences when the bubble finally bursts economy-wise.

Finally, I got my first treatment from my new chirorpractor this week and while I'm feeling a little beat up from the adjustments, I can tell my body is taking those adjustments and working its way back to a more optimal alignment.

The bottom line is that despite all the stuff going on, right now, I feel good. And grateful. And I'd like this to be regular kind of thing. Especially the gratitude part.

Emigration

Moving to the valley is a metaphor that continues to evolve. With this post, I want to focus on it being an emigration or maybe even an evacuation that's being driven by economics. I've met fellow emigrants while providing a weekly dinner at a nearby public park. But what's foremost on my mind is the growing awareness of how many more potentials emigrants there are, and the thinness of the margins they have (for many, only a paycheck or two) before they are forced into the valley as well. And I don't see that condition changing or improving, and it's difficult not to be extremely apprehensive about this.