Well--been on quite a hiatus, haven't I?
Despite the optimism expressed in my last post, 2010 was not my friend. A plumbing leak from my upstairs neighbor caused a worse disaster than Hurricane, which only goes to show that man-made troubles are worse than Nature's. I won't go into depressing detail, but it took most of the year to get things back together (on my neighbor's insurance, fortunately).
By 2011 I had realized that this place just does not want me living here. I certainly didn't seem to want to live there--after my boxes were returned from the temporary storage facility to which they had to be moved during repairs, I saw around for another 6 months without opening them. I think I had a superstition that once I moved in again, another disaster would strike. Anyway, even though the real estate market hadn't bounced all the way back, I decided condo ownership was not for me, and I sold the Condo-From-Hell in the late fall.
I spent a peaceful year recuperating in a small and charming 1950s complex, which I loved, until the elderly landlord retired and sold it to a developer, who kicked us all out, tore it down, and is currently in the process of building a row of ugly stucco townhomes. So I moved again in 2013--to an apartment hastily chosen and further from my job. I like it better than I thought I would, though the evening commute is an aggravation. Still can't decide whether or not I would rather tolerate this arrangement for another year or go through the hassle and expense of moving yet again later this spring.
But I have no regrets--ever since I dis-encumbered myself from that condo, I have been able to sleep soundly again, without waking in the middle of the night thinking I hear water dripping, and without getting constantly distracted by mundane problems, I have finally begun to work on some new projects again--writing, music, and of course, theatre.
So--sometimes you have to be willing to put yourself through a lot of uncomfortable and laborious work in order to get out of a situation that is sapping your power and your creativity. "Need is heavy on the heart, yet it often proves a help and salvation to the children of men, if they heed it in time." Don't put up with situations that drain your life of energy and joy--it's like pulling band-aid, it hurts at first, but it only lasts a minute.
