While I truly cannot be around people as a rule, there is one I cannot get away from. I am fine with this. It is my only human challenge, but I get to watch it all unfold.
We live on acreage here. I don’t have a huge space, but my neighbor does. When the weather is nice, he is always out doing something in his yard.
Yesterday I saw him pushing needles off of his second story balcony. I asked if he was on the roof blowing them off earlier. Yes. He is 74. He has a shoulder and hip injury. We have young people around to do stuff and plenty of handymen. He doesn’t want to spend the money. But he will spend it on something we all know is wrong and illegal. But how we pay for love is up to us. You all pay for it somehow.
He helped me in many ways after I moved in. He taught me the laws of mountain living. Now as we have conversations about summer, I have to set him free. I cannot help what he is creating.
Before winter, I told him how it was going to go. It was exact. I knew it wouldn’t snow until after my new roof was done after the first of the year. Boom. On New Year’s Day, Russell Willis “The Roofer” showed up. On January 5th, my new roof was finished. The snow started to fall the next day when he came to get his trailer. I got the two feet I asked for. It lasted a good long time.
I knew there would be no other snow events as I wouldn’t want to miss them. They were promised and everyone had to freak out and act accordingly “just in case.” They didn’t deliver. I get them next year. I had much to do in the moving process. I requested a simple winter. It has been magnificent.
He told me in great detail the path the ants are going to take to infiltrate his three living spaces. He knows the exact poles, lines, and walls they will come up. He is practically begging them to start early. He has many things that happen during different seasons. He expects it. I’ve never heard someone so deeply detail the horror he is about to experience.
I told him he could go ahead and enjoy having exterminators and scientists over there helping diagnose his problems, but he could always hitch his star onto my wagon. I live merely feet away, but I won’t have any infestations of anything. My house and space will be exactly what I want it to be. There will be no Orkin unless I need to meet the driver. My trees will not fall down. It will be perfect.
He smiles and wags his tail. He can’t believe me.
I smile.
I told him once he sees how simple life can be, he just might change his way of believing.
This is why I am limited to being alone. Always. When what people say near you enters your space, you know it is time to go inside. I am not to converse with one person at a time any longer. I am here for a much bigger fish fry.
I never imagined life in such solitude. I have had to unplug from every external source that once owned barely a sparkle of my essence. We are all here on our personal journey. I have advised and guided as much as I possibly can. Everyone in my universe is released.
I have those on parallel lives I will remain connected to. They aren’t here to affect my journey whatsoever. They are on their path which in no way affects or interacts with mine. They are my safe spaces. I just stayed with one in McMinnville. Bab’s and my sister are here. The rest know who they are.
I don’t know what is next for me. My book is floating. I hope to see the corrected cover one day soon. It is exactly where it needs to be. On my road trip to the coast, I was introduced to the publisher for my next three books in Bandon. I can’t make this stuff up. I thought I was self-publishing. Nope. Help always arrives.
In bed this morning I reminded God, Alden, Higher-Cari (the puppet master), whoever is listening; I don’t do diddly until I am guided. My days can start really strange and slow. But when I get the goods, it always makes sense.
The hot-tub is an amazing inspiration.
She was hoping to see the book being published right now. This morning I was told to send Dorothy the first book I wrote in 2017. I wrote it during my tailbone infection. It was 40% self-help and 60% memoir according to my editor. It was not the book I was to publish, but it is the story of my life through hell. It gives too much contrast from my old stuff that isn’t necessary at this time. It will be cleaned up and readied for those who need it one day soon. This is the book she is ready to read.
I met Dorothy in the seasonal aisle at Rite Aid two days ago. I had to laugh as I use many Dorothy, Toto, “and your little dog too,” and “Power in your Ruby Slippers” references in my work. Until now, I’ve never met a Dorothy.
We were supposed to be there. After a long talk, we exchanged numbers. A half hour later I was walking in another part of town and bumped into Dorothy. We needed to cement our meeting. Often people meet me and take my card with great excitement. When they look at my website or Google me, very few will actually make contact with me. They are not ready for the way their life will change if they are in my space.
During the Dorothy connection process, she took me to a store I’d never been to for a bottle of water. That was where we met Denise. She moved here a month ago. Dorothy landed here about a year ago.
There are no errors. These two women moved here alone as I did. They were sucked here as I was. Soon we will know why we met. Or not.