Comments on Girl's Gone Child: Things We'll Never Lose in the Fire

My family lost our home to fire when I was five ye...

2007-10-26T09:31:52.242-07:00

My family lost our home to fire when I was five years old. I can still remember the crackling, the smoke, and being worried about my things. It never occured to me, then, that people might be in danger - that *we* might be in danger - just that my pictures and my monkey, George, and other treasures - treasures without legs - would be lost. Such is the mind of the five year old. Such is the misapprehension of loss until real loss occurs.

Praying that the winds blow well, blow kindly, for you.

Wonderful post. My heart is aching as I sit here ...

2007-10-24T12:18:31.386-07:00

Wonderful post. My heart is aching as I sit here in the Mid-West and think about the ashes falling on my friends in Orange County (our previous home...) It's just stuff but it's also your life...Good luck my California friends!

We're praying for you guys out there. Everyone...i...

2007-10-24T08:13:35.621-07:00

We're praying for you guys out there. Everyone...is in our prayers.

Raleigh, NC
Ashley

Stay strong and be safe.

2007-10-24T05:23:28.181-07:00

Stay strong and be safe.

I live in the Santa Clarita Valley. Thankfully, t...

2007-10-24T02:15:17.084-07:00

I live in the Santa Clarita Valley. Thankfully, the winds shifted and calmed here, and things have gotten better.

This post is so beautifully written. and somehow relaxing. She says as she sits at her computer at 2-something AM because the air suddenly seemed smokier and she had to get up.

Anyway... Thank you.

I've been on the phone seemingly nonstop since Sun...

2007-10-23T20:47:13.886-07:00

I've been on the phone seemingly nonstop since Sunday with friends and family in San Diego (I lived there for eight years) and LA. Most of them are tucked away in the city, but that doesn't make it any less scary. I hope your family is ok.

I live in San Diego County. I have not been evacua...

2007-10-23T15:42:34.100-07:00

I live in San Diego County. I have not been evacuated, but the sky is grey, it smells of smoke and it's snowing - ash.

I thought about what I'd take if I were evacuated.. and nothing significant came to mind. Myself and my daughter.. safely getting out. That's all I ask for. Everything else - just memories that will never be burned away.

I never got a yearbook from high school. I don't ...

2007-10-23T14:20:36.136-07:00

I never got a yearbook from high school. I don't have the flower I wore to the prom, because I never went to a prom. I wasn't raised in a family that had a cam-corder, and we weren't much for pictures.

So I don't have any of that stuff. But I have my memories, and I remember everything.

It always amazed me when people talk about how dan...

2007-10-23T13:14:26.899-07:00

It always amazed me when people talk about how dangerous California is because of earthquakes. There is so much more lost to floods and wildfires.

I remember a couple that came close enough to see from the house (we lived near hills) when I was a kid. My thoughts are with everyone leaving their homes.

Beautiful post - we had an apartment fire last yea...

2007-10-23T12:19:33.181-07:00

Beautiful post - we had an apartment fire last year (and, like you, everything turned out to be fine) and I had the same revelation... that it truly is just STUFF.

Also, we're the same age! :-)

As always, I love your amazing perspective. Your ...

2007-10-23T10:12:20.420-07:00

As always, I love your amazing perspective. Your words really keep me grounded when I'm mentally spinning out of control

Looks like a good perspective to me. I was and wil...

2007-10-23T09:22:20.959-07:00

Looks like a good perspective to me. I was and will continue to be thinking about you and your family.

this may well be the best post I've read anywhere....

2007-10-23T09:05:38.394-07:00

this may well be the best post I've read anywhere. I've printed it out to share with my students today (I hope you don't mind- giving you full props) as a reality check and as the work on their "This I believe" essays.

Hang in there.

My aunt, uncle, and cousins were evacuated last ni...

2007-10-23T09:00:03.270-07:00

My aunt, uncle, and cousins were evacuated last night. They are taking it well, but this is such a scary time.

I'm keeping everyone in my prayers.

Sorry baby!

2007-10-23T07:48:08.935-07:00

Sorry baby!

I've never had to worry about a bushfire, but we h...

2007-10-23T06:53:22.379-07:00

I've never had to worry about a bushfire, but we had a housefire when I was about 6. I remember it was winter, and it was dark, and when my mom brought me home from Brownies all the firetrucks surrounding the house. We were lucky too, and they were able to put it out before there was too much damage. But my heart goes out to everyone who's not so lucky and I'll be thinking of all of you and praying for you all to stay safe.

So true and so well written. Praying the wind will...

2007-10-23T06:50:44.214-07:00

So true and so well written. Praying the wind will spare your family and so many others who are at its mercy.

Over the weekend here in Australia, I enjoyed the ...

2007-10-23T03:39:36.884-07:00

Over the weekend here in Australia, I enjoyed the weather but I couldn't escape that nagging worry. It was hot for early Spring, far too hot, and I couldn't avoid thinking about the likely bushfire season ahead. When I saw the news about Southern California, it just hurt.

Like you, I experienced bushfires when I was younger - our Ash Wednesday in 1983 was all around me. And with the drought here, and the fires of last summer which covered half the length of the country with smoke, I dread to think of what is to come. I agree with your perspective completely, but I hate to think of what devastation those people affected may be faced with. There will be new 15 year old girls crying for the loss of their journals.

It looks like Australia may be sending firefighters to help soon, the same way the US helped us so much last summer. I don't pray, but my thoughts are there and I hope everyone stays safe. As strange as it is, your wild-fires make Southern California almost seem like home.

I'm in Orange County, too, and my family has asthm...

2007-10-22T22:53:04.162-07:00

I'm in Orange County, too, and my family has asthma but at least our homes aren't burning down...thanks for a poignant post as always. Hoping the wind blows out to sea soon and the fires go out...
Missy

I moved out of LA 6 weeks ago and right now I'm so...

2007-10-22T20:49:46.104-07:00

I moved out of LA 6 weeks ago and right now I'm so glad. Mostly because I'm asthmatic and the air would just kill me. But I hope your families houses are okay.

I guess as we get older, we learn that the only thing that matters is our family and friends. Stuff can be replaced and what can't be...well it isn't worth what our peeps are.

I love the song. I guess there really is nothing y...

2007-10-22T19:19:28.193-07:00

I love the song. I guess there really is nothing you can do. My dad just hopped a plane for NYC for a few days. I just started packing my stuff. Because you're right - it is better to stand back and hold the hands of those who truly matter.. and that's what I plan on doing soon.

first, it boggles my mind to think you were fiftee...

2007-10-22T18:57:34.664-07:00

first, it boggles my mind to think you were fifteen years old in 1996. I was getting out of my first marriage and into my second; I guess I was your age now.

holy shit.

but that's not what I wanted to say. I wanted to say that I have been through several kinds of consuming fires, literal and metaphorical. I have twice lost nearly every thing I owned.

and you're right. the things you actually need turn out to be replaceable. the things that are irreplacable, well, it turns out their value was never in the object. it stays with you.

My stepfather's kids and their families are all in...

2007-10-22T18:07:26.255-07:00

My stepfather's kids and their families are all in San Diego. I've gotten emails from all three of them in the last few hours, and they're all on high alert, except for the youngest. They've been told to take what they can get together in an hour and go. When I talked to her a few minutes ago, they were on their way to Palm Springs, and she sounded like you do. "It's all just stuff," she said. "We can get more stuff. Everything I need is in this car with me." They do this all the time, she says.

I can't imagine. I'm thinking of them, and of you.

sending you love.

2007-10-22T17:34:10.739-07:00

sending you love.

we've been packed and ready for hours now. we were...

2007-10-22T17:10:38.730-07:00

we've been packed and ready for hours now. we were told to stay and turn on our air conditioning. its just an awful feeling. it was nice to read this...I have no idea why but it was a comfort.