Re: Disassembling

Re: Disassembling

Our house is coming apart. As it becomes barren I recall brightly the day the landlady first walked me through back in June 2003. On that day for a brief moment I thought I could be on her good side. Boy, was I ever wrong. I celebrate because as of today I'll probably never see her or the handyman again. And if I do it will be on a return visit, not as a tenant.

Donna's mom and grandma left sometime this morning. We've decided we need to make two trips in order to get everything there. We'll make the first one tomorrow carrying our records and whatever else we can wedge in. We're going to finish cleaning the place tonight. We'll get to bed early at 10-ish and get up early at 4-ish.

We should get to Jackson at noontime. We're leaving our junk at her mom's house until we're ready to take it to Nashville. We'll unload, congregate and eat. We'll sleep that night and wake early again to get back sometime Sunday afternoon. We'll call it "Jet-Lag Weekend."

There remain a few small chores to be done, like getting the phone and power turned off and filing a change of address. Our house is coming apart. Our lives here are almost only memories. Our new home will be coming together in no time at all. We'll find ourselves assembled into a whole new scene.

What always makes a person miss a place is the people who share that place. The shame of a college town is that people come and go, no matter how indispensible they are. Almost every friend I've made here has moved on. Were it not for that I'm sure it would be harder to leave Graceville. But that is the case and so I don't find leaving difficult in the least.

I know for certain my old friends will never be replaced. Still, I can't help but look forward to befriending people who have, for all practical purposes, settled.

I'll leave off with this. I was contacted today by the good folks at the Ryman Auditorium where I had put in an application. They want me to get in touch with them as soon as I'm moved in. I have a good feeling about it. It's all coming together.