Saturday, July 21, 2001

Pack You, Day 1

Ladies and Gentlemen, pack you!

I'm going to be moving in a week or so, so I need to get my shit together and bounce. Not that kinda bounce, damn you, but the kind that makes ya get on up and jet. I have stolen some boxes from the office as well as bought a few from Tar-ghetto, so I'm starting today. The count so far: I've packed four boxes for my books, a basket full of book I've written, a suitcase full of personal things that vibrate and make you wanna go uhhhhhh, and a gym bag full of my art supplies. More to come.

I've found a lot of things I thought I lost (not including men), and I've come to terms with a lot of things that I've had to throw away. Letters, pictures, unfinished poems, useless wishlists. I found a letter an old friend wrote that made me cry. Wait, I have to explain what it is first...When I went on retreat with a great group of students a few years ago, I asked them to write letters to each other lending a word or two of support in times of need. They were to write them to anyone, not a specific person, just a generic letter. Then I asked them to give me the letters, then I redistributing them, one each. Later on, I distributed stickers to each person, and we were to go around and put some nice things (and not so nice, but all love), on each other's envelopes. The thought behind this is that this letter is not to be opened unless you absolutely positively need to. Mine have been sitting in my drawer for years.

I found it when getting rid of all those phone numbers I've collected over the years (who the hell is this? I'll call 'em later.), and put my work aside to open it. I reread all the dots on the front of the envelope, and found some that made me laugh out loud (that's LOL to you AIM freaks), and I saw some from old friends like Mista J. I opened the envelope and read a sweet letter from a friend who shared with me some kind words that helped me get through the hardship of purging through memories and things I didn't want to let go of, but just had to. It's not easy to do it, but after reading it, I was better off for it. He wrote about some things that his mom told him as a child, one of them was, "Strength comes from the deepest parts of the soul." No doubt.

I folded it, put it away and wiped away the tears.

I will go through more of that as I get rid of more things, move some things back into boxes, and come to terms with the way I've lived my life these past few years. No regrets, none at all, but more of the wisdom accrued that makes the depths of the soul easier to understand.

Gimme them boxes,
Voodoo

posted by Voodoo Child @ 2:54:00 PM