I haven't moved house in a long time, so I forgot about the chaos that attends the final days before everything gets transferred to the new space. I forgot about cardboard boxes and packing tape, piles of things everywhere. It's all part of the unwinding of the life I've lived for nine-plus years.
Yesterday I was thinking about how even galaxies unwind as they evolve. In my mind's eye, I imagined the arms of the Andromeda galaxy spiraling away from its galactic center. Unwinding isn't just about spin, it isn't just about expansion. If that were true, then galaxies would look more like star clusters, the energy of the expansion would be more like an explosion than a spiral dance. Gravity, the most mysterious of the fundamental forces, reminds the expanding stars where they came from. In fact it occured to me that if unwinding is going to be graceful, it requires memory. Centrifugal and centripetal force are as much about gravity pulling inwards as what is spinning and expanding outwards.
Yeah, I know. I was waxing philosophical, a nice euphemism for my brain going off the deep end. Overthinking is a coping technique for times when I am emotionally overwhelmed. You know in the cartoons when one of the characters has been whacked upside the head and there are stars, exclamation points, bells and chirping birds flying around? That's what my head looks like these days. My goodness I can get so way out there.
Just as I was "philosophizing," I looked at the sky and saw the scene above - an "arm" of cloud unwinding from a central core of thicker cloud, or so it seemed to me.
Though it's impossible to superimpose a spiral shape on the total chaos in my room at the moment, I've decided to imagine that at least the energy of graceful unwinding is a part of the process of getting ready to move. This kind of crazy thinking helps me cope with the mess. Whatever it takes, yes? I say yes.
17 comments:
Ah yes, those are the words I always think after I finish reading one of your posts. We're unpacking and organizing my daughter's new life this week. My brain has been doing much the same. I think my husband would like the description "my brain going off the deep end" - funny.
PS - you were a winner in my giveaway!
Hang in there with all the moving craziness.
The chaos of moving is like no other. It is so hard to let go of things, and then to know what things to keep. Then you have to wonder if you made the right choices in what you kept or got rid of. It is enough to drive one batty.
Then the chaos in our mind is, well chaotic. It must be like your thoughts are bouncing around like a pinball machine. You get a little break and then the ball is shot back against the bumpers and just keeps bouncing around and around. This will continue until you are actually settled into the place, and on the day you can curl up on your couch and read a good book. Then you will know pure joy and bliss.
At least you have been lucky enough to of had a good amount of time to go through a lot of things. Many people are not so lucky and only have a few days or a week to move.
Then you will say that you are not going to accumulate so much stuff in the new place and next thing you know you have new stuff. It is a never ending cycle.
Looks like you are handling it very well, keep up the good work and all will come out as it is meant to be. I can only tell you that to relax and enjoy the ride is a lot better then to scream and try to jump off.
Wishing you the best during your move.
God bless.
Everton, I am?? Wow. How cool!!
Willow, if it were just the move, that would be enough. There's a whole lot goin' on. What's that song? For What It's Worth - Buffalo Springfield??
I'll be fine. Shalom.
On APOD, a fisheye pic that includes the galactic center! Very cool. I love being on a wavelength with the astronomers as NASA. Oh yeah.
I am envisioning boxes set up in a spiral of about 7 arms just waiting for items to be placed in them. One arm for books, one for incidentals, one for electronics, one for winter clothing, another for warm-weather clothing, one for art work, etc. How tall can you stack those boxes? It could look like a tiny group of high-rises. Good luck with the organization! Make it artistic.
My, you're on overdrive here, excited and anxious. It will all be over soon. Think of how fresh the new place will feel, with fewer things, all with their own space. What are you purging in this process?
Lizzy? YOU ARE A GENIUS. Next round of boxes I'm going to set up just like a galaxy. I might even take a picture.
Rosaria I have been ruthless in the purging and clearing and cleaning away of the old life. It feels so good. Oh yeah.
I like the image of the unwinding spiral - it's the dance (and turning, turning, we come round right).
centipedal force is the movement of many legs toward a unified goal
I like the idea of unwinding - it describes perfectly what happens when one moves. Can't wait to read your thoughts once you've moved into the new place.
Tom - LOVE the way you think, brother. Wish you were here this week. It's cooler and dryer, at least until the 4th.
Pauline, I can't even imagine being in the new space. So much is going on right now, right here. But I am curious, I'll admit it.
When we moved down here, it was so emotional because I loved my home. The chaos and torment I felt was agonizing but after 16 months I kind of feel like I am home again. Much luck and love in your move forward<3 Thanks to you and the rest of my friends~~~
We are a resilient species. We adapt. Thank god.
What a delightful picture (the link). And I can so relate to what you are going through right now. Mine was spread out over time. I can only imagine what my state of mind would have been like if I had had to do it in a month or two.
Great picture! Good luck w/ your move.
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