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And I was one of the very very few who had flood insurance. So, ironically, it was the flood that ultimately gave me the financial relief all my hard work was supposed to bring. Ain't life weird?Day 21: A song for feeling powerful
Butterflies and Hurricanes - Muse
The first week of March, 2020 was one of the proudest moments of my life. I had finally finished rebuilding my business. It was everything I had hoped for. I poured every piece of myself into it- my energy, finances, my hopes. I sacrificed time with friends and family, strained my already stressed marriage. I believed deeply that this would finally pull us out of the financial distress our previous store could not alleve. That it would allow us to offer our kids the future they deserve.. one with a vacation each year, sugary cereal and the soft toilet paper.
And then COVID lockdowns hit.
But it was okay. I was an essential service and needed to stay open. We would make it through. To protect my immuno-compromised kids I decided to live in the store. I became the only one working- 16 hour shifts, every day, for weeks. This lasted until .. well, almost exactly 5 years ago.
I watched the big beautiful river, only one hundred meters from the meticulously designed wooden steps of my store, begin to rise. The river ice broke, jammed and the tide began to move unstoppably into town. Within 24 hours my store was engulfed.
It was a surreal experience, watching a river begin it's journey towards what would become a record breaking flood. I didn't want to move from the front steps, as though my presence could stop the water. The RCMP said they couldn't leave until I did, so I turned my back on hope and walked up the hill.
A week later when the roads were cleared of 10' thick chunks of ice I was allowed to walk into my store and document the damage. I won't forget the smell. What had been the scent of varnish a few days before was now mold, mud, and rotting food. I remember the deep sigh when I unlocked the door and stepped into the chaos. And the way my rubber boots slid in the thick slurry coating the polished wood floors.
The next day the community, the surrounding communities rallied. A dozen people I didn't know helped me squeegee clay from the floors, pile mud soaked cases of pop into piles for recycling, count every item in the store and toss all those 'things' into countless dumpsters. I still have a few of those hand written inventory sheets, muddy finger prints and all.
The next day I was helping another store owner empty their life into a dumpster when they ran out of latex gloves. I walked from their store to mine, huge chunks of ice still littering the parking lots, and unlocked the door. There, high on a shelf and out of reach of the flood waters, were a few boxes of the gloves I had bought at the beginning of covid.
Latex gloves in hand, walking towards someone else's brokenness, I didn't feel helpless. I felt strong. I had the power to help amidst all the numbing despair.
That's an amazing story.And I was one of the very very few who had flood insurance. So, ironically, it was the flood that ultimately gave me the financial relief all my hard work was supposed to bring. Ain't life weird?
What an amazing story.Day 21: A song for feeling powerful
Butterflies and Hurricanes - Muse
The first week of March, 2020 was one of the proudest moments of my life. I had finally finished rebuilding my business. It was everything I had hoped for. I poured every piece of myself into it- my energy, finances, my hopes. I sacrificed time with friends and family, strained my already stressed marriage. I believed deeply that this would finally pull us out of the financial distress our previous store could not alleve. That it would allow us to offer our kids the future they deserve.. one with a vacation each year, sugary cereal and the soft toilet paper.
And then COVID lockdowns hit.
But it was okay. I was an essential service and needed to stay open. We would make it through. To protect my immuno-compromised kids I decided to live in the store. I became the only one working- 16 hour shifts, every day, for weeks. This lasted until .. well, almost exactly 5 years ago.
I watched the big beautiful river, only one hundred meters from the meticulously designed wooden steps of my store, begin to rise. The river ice broke, jammed and the tide began to move unstoppably into town. Within 24 hours my store was engulfed.
It was a surreal experience, watching a river begin it's journey towards what would become a record breaking flood. I didn't want to move from the front steps, as though my presence could stop the water. The RCMP said they couldn't leave until I did, so I turned my back on hope and walked up the hill.
A week later when the roads were cleared of 10' thick chunks of ice I was allowed to walk into my store and document the damage. I won't forget the smell. What had been the scent of varnish a few days before was now mold, mud, and rotting food. I remember the deep sigh when I unlocked the door and stepped into the chaos. And the way my rubber boots slid in the thick slurry coating the polished wood floors.
The next day the community, the surrounding communities rallied. A dozen people I didn't know helped me squeegee clay from the floors, pile mud soaked cases of pop into piles for recycling, count every item in the store and toss all those 'things' into countless dumpsters. I still have a few of those hand written inventory sheets, muddy finger prints and all.
The next day I was helping another store owner empty their life into a dumpster when they ran out of latex gloves. I walked from their store to mine, huge chunks of ice still littering the parking lots, and unlocked the door. There, high on a shelf and out of reach of the flood waters, were a few boxes of the gloves I had bought at the beginning of covid.
Latex gloves in hand, walking towards someone else's brokenness, I didn't feel helpless. I felt strong. I had the power to help amidst all the numbing despair.
WOW! You are amazingly resilient!Day 21: A song for feeling powerful
Butterflies and Hurricanes - Muse
The first week of March, 2020 was one of the proudest moments of my life. I had finally finished rebuilding my business. It was everything I had hoped for. I poured every piece of myself into it- my energy, finances, my hopes. I sacrificed time with friends and family, strained my already stressed marriage. I believed deeply that this would finally pull us out of the financial distress our previous store could not alleve. That it would allow us to offer our kids the future they deserve.. one with a vacation each year, sugary cereal and the soft toilet paper.
And then COVID lockdowns hit.
But it was okay. I was an essential service and needed to stay open. We would make it through. To protect my immuno-compromised kids I decided to live in the store. I became the only one working- 16 hour shifts, every day, for weeks. This lasted until .. well, almost exactly 5 years ago.
I watched the big beautiful river, only one hundred meters from the meticulously designed wooden steps of my store, begin to rise. The river ice broke, jammed and the tide began to move unstoppably into town. Within 24 hours my store was engulfed.
It was a surreal experience, watching a river begin it's journey towards what would become a record breaking flood. I didn't want to move from the front steps, as though my presence could stop the water. The RCMP said they couldn't leave until I did, so I turned my back on hope and walked up the hill.
A week later when the roads were cleared of 10' thick chunks of ice I was allowed to walk into my store and document the damage. I won't forget the smell. What had been the scent of varnish a few days before was now mold, mud, and rotting food. I remember the deep sigh when I unlocked the door and stepped into the chaos. And the way my rubber boots slid in the thick slurry coating the polished wood floors.
The next day the community, the surrounding communities rallied. A dozen people I didn't know helped me squeegee clay from the floors, pile mud soaked cases of pop into piles for recycling, count every item in the store and toss all those 'things' into countless dumpsters. I still have a few of those hand written inventory sheets, muddy finger prints and all.
The next day I was helping another store owner empty their life into a dumpster when they ran out of latex gloves. I walked from their store to mine, huge chunks of ice still littering the parking lots, and unlocked the door. There, high on a shelf and out of reach of the flood waters, were a few boxes of the gloves I had bought at the beginning of covid.
Latex gloves in hand, walking towards someone else's brokenness, I didn't feel helpless. I felt strong. I had the power to help amidst all the numbing despair.
When I evict snails, I'll tell them I'm taking them where they can have a disco in the bushes but NIMBYDay 20: A song for feeling silly
"Disco Snails" - Vulfmon & Zachary Barker
I almost chose a song of theirs yesterday, I'm so glad you did! My favorite comedy duoDay 20: A song for feeling silly
Flight Of The Conchords - Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros
Day 21: A song for feeling powerful
Day 21: A song for feeling powerful
Oh man, when that orchestra kicks in! Helps if you don’t understand Latin or know what they’re actually singing about.
Classical music is powerful AFDay 21: A song for feeling powerful
Richard Wagner - Ride of The Valkyries