The Fire
Monday was an interesting day. I was off work and had been up late playing Empire Earth all night (very addictive game, be careful gang!) so I thought I would sleep in until late afternoon. So here comes noon and I awake in a weary, almost drunken stupor to the sounds of fire trucks... very loud fire trucks, fire trucks that have, for some unbeknownst reason, stopped almost directly outside and surrounding my apartment. Needless to say this sight caused my eyes to open faster than would otherwise be expected.
I come to find out that the Korner Barber Shop building is ablaze. It's about 2 doors down from my apartment actually so I had a good view of things. I took some pictures while gathering information from my neighbors. Seems an electrical problem of some sort had sparked the now 20 ft high flames that were billowing from the roof.
There were about 4 or 5 fire engines and a couple dozen fire fighters there to keep things under control but they could do little to save the building. What the fire didn't get the hundreds of gallons of water now soaking the fine wood floors and ceilings surely had and it was obvious that this once historic building (circa 1840) was now in ruin.
The big tragedy is, of course, the people living in the apartments above the Barber Shop. I doubt they had much warning and they lost most of their possessions. Fortunately no one was injured.
I went the day without power or gas (so no heat either) and my car was stranded behind the police barricades that had moved into downtown Milford. I walked on up to my mother's house and hung out there the rest of the day and when I finally returned at around midnight the building was still smoking and a few remaining workers were tearing away some of the brick walls.
Just remember what you have. There is so much to be thankful for. It could be lost at any moment. As Buddhism teaches, all things are impermanent. All things crumble and burn eventually. But they will always bring about new life and there is plenty of spirit left here to rebuild and start anew.
I come to find out that the Korner Barber Shop building is ablaze. It's about 2 doors down from my apartment actually so I had a good view of things. I took some pictures while gathering information from my neighbors. Seems an electrical problem of some sort had sparked the now 20 ft high flames that were billowing from the roof.
There were about 4 or 5 fire engines and a couple dozen fire fighters there to keep things under control but they could do little to save the building. What the fire didn't get the hundreds of gallons of water now soaking the fine wood floors and ceilings surely had and it was obvious that this once historic building (circa 1840) was now in ruin.
The big tragedy is, of course, the people living in the apartments above the Barber Shop. I doubt they had much warning and they lost most of their possessions. Fortunately no one was injured.
I went the day without power or gas (so no heat either) and my car was stranded behind the police barricades that had moved into downtown Milford. I walked on up to my mother's house and hung out there the rest of the day and when I finally returned at around midnight the building was still smoking and a few remaining workers were tearing away some of the brick walls.
Just remember what you have. There is so much to be thankful for. It could be lost at any moment. As Buddhism teaches, all things are impermanent. All things crumble and burn eventually. But they will always bring about new life and there is plenty of spirit left here to rebuild and start anew.