So my house got robbed today. Fortunately no one was there at the time; I won't tell you what my thoughts first jumped to when I saw the police cars parked outside my house, after getting a text message from my dad saying, "Hey you ok?" I can't even process how grateful I am for that. Things could have been so much worse.
They took a bunch of electronics and jewelry, mostly things that would turn over quickly, so I'm less worried about identity theft or a stalker situation... But still. They say the hardest part of being a victim of theft is the lost sense of personal security. I didn't even recognize that's what I was feeling until I pulled into the parking lot of the library here.
Yeah, so that's where I am, the library -- seeing as my laptop has been stolen. My second thought, after running over horrible scenarios in my head, was, "Thank god my flash drive is still in the Midwest." Which I have been cursing myself about for 3 weeks. So at least I still have my writing. But there are a lot of photos and music and other intellectual property, stored up over years and years, that is now gone. Even if I got my (outdated and not-in-excellent-condition) electronics back, everything of value on them would be gone, most likely. Not that it wasn't on the verge of crashing anyway.
But I am so thankful that my sisters and I were out of the house; even that my brother is in Boston and my parents were also both working. Maria said to me, "It makes me happy that, even when really horrible things happen, I can still pick out the good parts about it, without even trying. That makes me feel good about myself." This while she was ranting and crying, but still, she's right. There could hardly be a more stable family for someone to rob than us, because we know what's important and we will pull through. I'm even partially glad I no longer have a computer so I can't spend all my time at home on it. Also, I love the library.
It's funny, because everytime I meet someone new they say, "Oh, welcome to Delaware! ...Just so you know, we don't usually have an earthquake, several tornados, a hurricane, and a manhunt every week -- that's not normal." I didn't really think anything of it, although now it does seem like a disproportionate amount of misfortune all in the space of three weeks... Also, a neighbor's dog recently ran away to die and they were looking for it. A tree fell on another neighbor's house. Bad things happen. But we process them (once we get over the initial shock) and we somehow get on with our lives.
Besides, there are great amounts of fortune as well. For example, the fact that I am not agonizing over the fact that I now have one pair of earrings left to my name -- because it is a pair of hearts carved out of shells that Mikey brought back from Costa Rica for me senior year of high school. Also, that on the way home from work today I was marveling at how gorgeous the drive is along route 41 and 62. I almost tried to go that way this morning, but I got on a one-way going the wrong way so I chickened out and went the way I know. Which turned out to be faster, but definitely not as green and winding. Also less pothole-y, however.
Oh, speaking of good fortune, I got a job! After all my agonizing over that... It's a really cool one, too, with a PR firm that does healthy lifestyle campaigns. They hired me for my social research background with a creative twist. Could it be more perfect?! I'm the "Social Media Associate," and I never imagined six months ago that I would be doing something so hip. I also really like everyone in the office, and there is a gorgeous backyard for me to take my lunch breaks in, at least until the sun fades a bit. I'm really incredibly excited.
Now I could have taken this U-turn from either end (which it seems I've been doing all day -- I got lost so many times on the road today!) but I chose purposely to end it on a hopeful note. First, because I am my father's daughter, and hope (along with resilience, grace, etc) are his great buzzwords. Second, because why would I leave my readers, and myself, with doom and gloom? Not when I have so much to be thankful for, when those things are going to carry me forward. It really is amazing, the way things happen in some kind of order, and the power we hold, always, to respond.
They took a bunch of electronics and jewelry, mostly things that would turn over quickly, so I'm less worried about identity theft or a stalker situation... But still. They say the hardest part of being a victim of theft is the lost sense of personal security. I didn't even recognize that's what I was feeling until I pulled into the parking lot of the library here.
Yeah, so that's where I am, the library -- seeing as my laptop has been stolen. My second thought, after running over horrible scenarios in my head, was, "Thank god my flash drive is still in the Midwest." Which I have been cursing myself about for 3 weeks. So at least I still have my writing. But there are a lot of photos and music and other intellectual property, stored up over years and years, that is now gone. Even if I got my (outdated and not-in-excellent-condition) electronics back, everything of value on them would be gone, most likely. Not that it wasn't on the verge of crashing anyway.
But I am so thankful that my sisters and I were out of the house; even that my brother is in Boston and my parents were also both working. Maria said to me, "It makes me happy that, even when really horrible things happen, I can still pick out the good parts about it, without even trying. That makes me feel good about myself." This while she was ranting and crying, but still, she's right. There could hardly be a more stable family for someone to rob than us, because we know what's important and we will pull through. I'm even partially glad I no longer have a computer so I can't spend all my time at home on it. Also, I love the library.
It's funny, because everytime I meet someone new they say, "Oh, welcome to Delaware! ...Just so you know, we don't usually have an earthquake, several tornados, a hurricane, and a manhunt every week -- that's not normal." I didn't really think anything of it, although now it does seem like a disproportionate amount of misfortune all in the space of three weeks... Also, a neighbor's dog recently ran away to die and they were looking for it. A tree fell on another neighbor's house. Bad things happen. But we process them (once we get over the initial shock) and we somehow get on with our lives.
Besides, there are great amounts of fortune as well. For example, the fact that I am not agonizing over the fact that I now have one pair of earrings left to my name -- because it is a pair of hearts carved out of shells that Mikey brought back from Costa Rica for me senior year of high school. Also, that on the way home from work today I was marveling at how gorgeous the drive is along route 41 and 62. I almost tried to go that way this morning, but I got on a one-way going the wrong way so I chickened out and went the way I know. Which turned out to be faster, but definitely not as green and winding. Also less pothole-y, however.
Oh, speaking of good fortune, I got a job! After all my agonizing over that... It's a really cool one, too, with a PR firm that does healthy lifestyle campaigns. They hired me for my social research background with a creative twist. Could it be more perfect?! I'm the "Social Media Associate," and I never imagined six months ago that I would be doing something so hip. I also really like everyone in the office, and there is a gorgeous backyard for me to take my lunch breaks in, at least until the sun fades a bit. I'm really incredibly excited.
Now I could have taken this U-turn from either end (which it seems I've been doing all day -- I got lost so many times on the road today!) but I chose purposely to end it on a hopeful note. First, because I am my father's daughter, and hope (along with resilience, grace, etc) are his great buzzwords. Second, because why would I leave my readers, and myself, with doom and gloom? Not when I have so much to be thankful for, when those things are going to carry me forward. It really is amazing, the way things happen in some kind of order, and the power we hold, always, to respond.
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