Sudden Changes

            I don’t know much about coaching football, but I do know, from what the tv announcers tell me, is that the ability to deal with sudden changes, is crucial to a team’s success. By “sudden changes” they mean things like blocked punts or pass interceptions – usually it’s bad stuff.

            Well, our week of moving brought some sudden changes. Our mover was scheduled for Wednesday, but due to a conflict on his end, he postponed to Sunday. But on Saturday night, he called again to say it would have to be Monday. No problem. This gives us more time to clean the house after our builder cleaned, and then the cleaning service cleaned and then came back to clean again. No, we are not being fussy about cleaning – even I could see the dirty floors and shelves.

            But wait! There’s more! (as the late night tv ads say). On Saturday morning our renter’s family called to say the 87-year-old woman who was to live here had a major stroke and would not be moving in. Difficult to be upset, as their issue is so much more serious than ours. So we’ll put the house back on the market, which means the condo has to be ready to show to a prospective buyer soon, not ready for someone to move into a furnished home on November 1. What to do with all those boxes? This is not exactly a blocked punt, but it’s certainly a sudden change. We are moving some of the stuff we moved from the condo to the house back to the condo, and we will again need to make our condo ready to show.

            My brother Bob, writing about start-ups in Culture.com: How the Best Startups Make It Happen, mentions the importance of agility, the ability to adjust and move quickly. Kim and I, in our mid-70s, are not exactly a start-up. People our age are usually involved in slow-downs, not start-ups. But we are enjoying our senior agility. A circumstance changes, and we, usually Kim, find a way to adjust and make it all work out for the best.

            Meanwhile, we are doing a lot of running around – carrying boxes, cleaning up messes, disposing of collapsed boxes, looking after landscaping (Kim had to replant much of what our landscaper planted), in addition to leading our regular lives (preparing meals, paying bills, etc.) 

            But wait! There’s more! The mover postponed again – now scheduled for Thursday (tomorrow), but he has not called to confirm. And the cooktop does not fit our counters, the vent does not meet code, and we do not have a Certificate of Occupancy. Gale force winds expected tonight!

            I’ve been too busy to get the now overdue oil change for my car, and as we drive around my car is sending me a very important warning: “Maintenance Required.” With that in mind, Kim and I are looking into massage, vowing to sleep better, pausing for deep breathing, eating mindfully, and reminding each other how much we have to be grateful for – including each other.