Had an email today from the woman who serves as property manager of the building (and others) where Mrs. Denmarkguy and I have our little art and gift gallery.
She was letting us know (informally) that she was quitting her job and moving back to Alaska to live with her parents. On the surface, maybe that doesn't sound like much of anything... after all, we live in the age of "McJobs" and rapid turnover.
You know those tiny usually white daisies in your lawn? This is what they look like, up close...
But this is a little different, because she has been working for Sam — the building owner — for almost thirty years. She's also not moving to live with her parents to take care of them, because they are early 70's and in excellent health. She's simply... getting off the treadmill, and her only affordable ticket out is living with her parents. Thankfully, they have a good relationship, so it's a mutually agreed on arrangement.
But this is no "Millennial living on their parents' couch in the basement" situation. This is a 51-year old woman with a 30-year job history, who finds herself with few other options.
Periods of Change or... "We're All Connected"
It has long fascinated me how there seem to be periods of change in the course of our lives, and other times where it feels like everything stays stagnant for years and years..
All within the first three months of this year, we have seen three deaths of close friends, two close friends moving across the country, three business associates close their retail stores, and now this. We don't actually know that many people!
Blooming Heather in our garden...
Meanwhile, I learned earlier today that (a) some people we know quite well who have a gourmet foods store have just put it up for sale last week, and (b) someone else we know has bought a different store that went out of business in December. And next week... my sister-in-law is getting married after 25 years of being single, and she and her new beau are moving to Idaho in May.
I look at all this and feel pretty certain that "this many changes" have not come our way in the preceding five years. These kinds of "clusters of events" really do make me pause and ponder that there is some sort of "energetic connections" in the fabric of our existence.
Somehow. Maybe science will be able to measure it and explain it, someday...
"The Sheep Effect?"
In my first marriage — going back a good 25-30 years, now — we had a fairly tight group of friends. This group consisted of six couples, and we all knew each other pretty well and did lots of things together.
We often figured we'd help each other celebrate our respective kids' college graduations, weddings and so forth.
Dewdrops on spiderweb
But here's the odd thing: Even though all six marriages seemed "reasonably solid," when Diana and John suddenly announced that they were splitting up and getting a divorce... within 16 months, five of the six couples were no longer couples! To their credit, the 6th couple are still married... they must be coming up on their 35th anniversary.
It was just odd... how everyone had been married for 8-10 years, and then suddenly the collective energy of the group fell part. Makes me wonder if the above "connective energy" I was considering is more of a case of "monkey see, monkey do?" Maybe some people are simply "catalysts of change," and everyone else simply sees their actions as some sort of "green light" to actually make changes they've already been noodling in their heads for a long time.
Whatever the case may be, there just seem to be abnormally many changes in the air, at the moment.
I just hope they are for the better.
Oh! And Happy "Pi Day!"
Thanks for reading!
How about YOU? Any recent sudden changes in your life, or for the people around you? Does it ever seem like "events happen in clusters?" Or does your life seem pretty steady, rather than cyclical? Leave a comment-- share your experiences-- be part of the conversation!
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Created at 190314 23:56 PST
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