What to Take

What would you take with you if a firestorm was advancing on your home and you only had a few minutes to get out? The main thing for me would have to be John of course—and my dog. I read in the New York times about a guy in California who loaded his three cats, three dogs, snake and tortoise into his van while his wife grabbed the photos. (All eight pets spent several days in his office).
Photos would be important for me too, along with my journals, artwork, external drive, keepsakes, art supplies, printer, rubber stamps, David’s glass, my grandmother’s diaries, my shell collection…let’s face it, I’d need a truck and a bunch of brawny movers to accomplish this.
I don’t think of myself as a materialistic person, but so much of our identity seems to be reflected by the stuff we have, and losing it all would be like losing a part of your self. But a dog or cat has to come first. It was heartbreaking to see all the abandoned and starving pets people were ordered to leave behind in Hurricane Katrina. I don’t think I’d ever get over having to leave Lily behind, so I just couldn’t.