THE BIG FIRE

Sunday I went to Olympic High School to watch my oldest granddaughter play soccer. They scored quickly in the opening few minutes and then the other team took over and dominated the game until the last five minutes. In the last 30 second, our team scored again and tied the game. It was a fun day. While my son-in-law and I were sitting watching the game, which started at 2:00 p.m., the first picture arrived on the phone of the family sitting next to Chris. There was a fire in a coffee shop in town.

Isn’t technology amazing? The photo arrived about ten minutes after the fire began. As it turned out the coffee shop was just one of seven business’ that were totally destroyed by fire. It started in a tanning bed when a bulb popped. The young girl on the bed got up and got dressed and went to report the small fire that had begun. When employees checked, the whole room was ablaze and alarms were going off. The fire quickly burst into the attic and the entire small shopping complex was ablaze.

This was a big deal in our little down. When I was returning from the soccer game I came over the hill and could see the smoke. It wasn’t that far from The Home. It was big news and, of course, it made the Seattle news stations. The entire complex was a total loss.

I don’t know why it began weighing on my mind, but I was thinking about all those small businesses. They are now instantly closed. Sure, Insurance will cover their loses, but what about income. The owners will not have an income until they can find a new location or the complex is rebuilt. All their employees have suddenly lost their jobs. I suspect the majority were minimum wage jobs, but people who work for those wages need the money the most. My heart went out to those who are now unemployed through no fault of their own.

I don’t know about the job openings in this area. One of the dangers of being retired is losing track of all the cultural impact in the county. Our area is basically dependent upon the Navy. There are two bases. These are secure jobs and provide a steady financial base. But several families have now been unexpectedly hit with a hardship. These people will need jobs now.

Life changes on a dime. Many things come our way suddenly without warning. A vehicle runs into us. A bone is broken. A heart attach is experienced. A family member suddenly dies. We are unexpectedly thrown into emption trauma. A teenage daughter announces she is pregnant. A child is picked up by the police and placed in jail. A son runs away. We are never prepared for the sudden changes that come into our lives, but we must adjust. We must adapt. And we will. We do. We have to. Change is constant and as we all know. It is not all-good change.