Lucky

Watching the fire burning fierce and bright from my bedroom window, I am absurdly reminded of a childhood rhyme and game: "Fire on the mountain, run, run, run."
Indeed, run is what I feel I should be prepared to do. After all, its 2am and I can see freakish flames, pink and orange, lapping at the top of the mountain just miles away. I should panic and be scared, I know. But somehow that is not what I feel.

After an all night vigil, which consisted of keeping my eyes on the flames, first engorged and then diminishing slowly, as well as keeping my ear trained for the sound of the telephone, bringing with it that call to evacuate (which never came, lucky for us), I finally headed to bed at 5am. I had been mentally and physically prepared, important papers, precious things, and basic necessities at hand in case I did have to get in my car and flee. The call did not come, I am still able to watch and feel for those not so lucky, keeping tabs from my computer and on my television set, rather than being outside my comfort zone, home, life. I truly am one of the lucky people.

And I do appreciate how lucky we are. I also am amazed at how calm I was, and all the little things I thought of. And, truth be told, I also learned something new about myself: what it is I find and feel are important, and what I think about in a looming crisis. And last but not least, I am appreciative of the calls from friends telling me to get out, come to their place, just advising me of the situation. In a moment like that, one finds out who cares about you and thinks of you when disaster is impending. Not the hail fellow well met sort of friends, but the I want you to be safe and I am calling because I care friends. I am lucky in them too...