FIRST AND FOREMOST, IF WHILE READING THIS POST, MY VOICE IS RESONATING THROUGH YOUR HEAD, DICTATING EACH WORD WITH PRECISE DIALECT AND TONE, I FEEL THAT IT BE MADE KNOWN THAT THE CURRENT SOUND QUALITY MY VOCAL CORDS ARE PRODUCING LINE UP EXACTLY WITH THE TONE, AND PRECISE DIALECT OF DARTH VADER'S. SINCERELY, STREP THROAT.
ONWARD!
THE PAST THREE DAYS HAVE CONSISTED OF ME PACKING, HAULING, AND UNPACKING MY BELONGINGS. I HAD HOPED TO ATTACH THE WORD "FEW" DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE WORD "BELONGINGS", ALAS THE HARSH REALIZATION OF THAT IMPOSSIBILITY MADE ITSELF KNOWN, IN THE FORM OF EXCESSIVE CARD BOARD BOXES SEVERELY MUTILATED IN MY PETITE CAR. IN PERFECT HARMONY WITH THOSE BOXES, MY BODY ACHED OF MUTILATION. THE SUN SHINING 95 DEGREES OF LIGHT UPON MY CLAMMY, DEHYDRATED, AND VIRAL FIGURE WAS PURE TORTURE. BUT HARK! VICTORIOUS I STAND! MY LUNGS EVER SO JOYOUSLY WHEEZING PRAISES!
THIS EVENING, WHILE LYING MOTIONLESS ON A NEW PLUSH BED, MY MIND REWOUND ITSELF TO MY FIRST HOUSE IN SPRING HILL, AND FAST FORWARDED TO MY CURRENT HOUSE, IN SPRING HILL. SOMEHOW, IN BETWEEN THESE BOOKENDS OF MY LIFE, I HAVE MANAGED TO LIVE IN FOUR DIFFERENT ROOMS, INSIDE FOUR DIFFERENT STRUCTURES. MEANING, IN THE PAST THREE YEARS, I HAVE HAD SIX DIFFERENT RESIDENCIES UNDER MY BELT. ALL LIES ASIDE, I HAD A MINI MELTDOWN. THE NUMBER APPEARED ABSOLUTELY ABSURD. ASTRONOMICAL. I STARTED TO QUESTION IF I EVEN COULD DEFINE THE WORD "STABLE", OR MORE SO, COULD I EVEN NAME ONE PLACE, WITH FOUR WALLS, THAT I COULD CALL "HOME"? I RESTED FOR A FEW MOMENTS, LETTING MY FEARS AND MIND GAMES SLIP INTO SPACE, AND IT DAWNED ON ME: EACH OF THOSE PLACES I HAD LAID MY HEAD CONTAINED A PIVOTAL MOMENT IN MY LIFE. EACH OF THOSE MOMENTS, HAVE MOLDED ME INTO WHO I AM TODAY. AND NOW - THE LIST.
1. SPRING HILL #1, MY FIRST HOME IN NASHVILLE. WHERE I GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL. WHERE I HAD MY FIRST RELATIONSHIP WITH A STEREOTYPICAL "BAD BOY" WHO PHYSICALLY PUSHED AND ABUSED ME. WHERE I SUFFERED FROM DEPRESSION. WHERE I LEARNED ULTIMATE FORGIVENESS.
2. ROYAL OAKS APARTMENT, OUT FROM UNDER MY PARENTS ROOF. WHERE I LEARNED HOW TO LIVE WITH ROOMMATES. WHERE I LEARNED HOW TO WORK TWO JOBS AT ONCE. WHERE I LEARNED HOW TO BUDGET MONEY. WHERE I LEARNED HOW TO ACCEPT THAT MY FAMILY WAS FOREVER BROKEN.
3. BDB'S HOUSE, MY FIRST EXPERIENCE LIVING WITH THE OPPOSITE SEX. WHERE I LEARNED THE VALUE OF PRIVACY. WHERE I LEARNED HOW TO THROW KILLER DANCE PARTIES. WHERE I LEARNED HOW TO COOK FISH. AND MAY I REPEAT, WHERE I LEARNED HOW TO LIVE WITH THE OPPOSITE SEX? SPECIFICALLY, THREE MEMBERS OF THE OPPOSITE SEX.
4. EAST NASHVILLE CONDO, MY FIRST EXPERIENCE LIVING WITH PEOPLE I DIDN'T KNOW. WHERE I HAD MY FIRST DRINK OF ALCOHOL. WHERE I WATCHED THE ENTIRE SCRUBS SERIES IN LESS THAN THREE WEEKS. WHERE I MADE OUT WITH A COMPLETE STRANGER, WHO WAS FROM LIVERPOOL (THE ACCENT... I MEAN, COM'N!). WHERE I MOURNED THE DEATH OF TOO MANY BEAUTIFUL FRIENDS.
5. NIPPER'S CORNER HOUSE, MY FIRST EXPERIENCE LIVING WITH SIX PEOPLE. WHERE I LEARNED THAT TOILET PAPER GETS EXPENSIVE. WHERE I HAD THE ROLLER COASTER RELATIONSHIP OF MY LIFE. WHERE I LEARNED THE VALUE OF MY FAITH, THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND PROPHETIC WORD. WHERE I LEARNED HOW TO STAND UP TO MY PARENTS. WHERE I STARTED A FRESH RELATIONSHIP THAT IS STILL BLOSSOMING. WHERE I PUT MY CAT'S NEEDS OVER MY OWN.
6. SPRING HILL #2, MY FIRST EXPERIENCE LIVING WITH ONE OTHER PERSON. THE REST? TO BE DETERMINED.
MY POINT TO ALL OF THIS IS THAT YES, THE NUMBER IS RATHER ABSURD, BUT ALL IN ALL I HAVE EXPERIENCED AND GROWN FAR MORE THAN THE AVERAGE PERSON MY AGE. I HAVE LIVED AMONGST THE PRESENCE OF MANY DIFFERENT UP-BRINGINGS, AND HAVE LEARNED TO APPRECIATE THE PRESENCE I POSSES, NO MATTER WHERE IT TAKES ME.
