My domestic challenge

I’m moving. Again. The apt. building I chose as my new home just last year has been sold for condos, after having been owned & operated for about 20 years by the same folks. And I don’t see myself paying over $100k for this tiny place, regardless of the great location. If I could afford that I’d buy something bigger, better, etc. But I can’t at this point, which brings us back to the original point: I’m moving.

And I mean that in the sense of “I’m in the process of planning to move and taking stabs at actually doing stuff in between the vital activities of working, sleeping, eating…and blogging.” And not in the sense of “I’m at this moment making progress to my next destination.” Because the latter sense would not seem to be accurate at this point—as I write, and at this point in my life. But then, motion is relative, and you don’t always feel it when it’s happening, and since we know so little about what’s around any given corner or bend in the road, now and in the future, it’s hard to be definite about one’s progress or lack of it at any given time.

I do know I have to have my stuff out of my current place by Aug. 1, and as usual I’ll be depending on “a little help from my friends.” And Budget Truck Rentals.

I’m not moving very far (apply that any way you want); just up the street, to a location in the venerated Hillsboro Village neighborhood, next to Belmont U. My new landlord is an acquaintance of mine, formerly in the music publishing biz. To save him some work and me some money, we did an “as is” deal on the apt. But of course I managed to procrastinate my big plans to renovate until recently, so the pressure’s on. Remodeling is one area where progress is fairly easy to measure and results are easy to assess. This is why Bob Hall, the director of the Baptist student ministries at UTK, liked to work on his house, to get that sense of closure and accomplishment. People are "never quite finished,” he said. I can relate.

Kay Arthur once introduced me to the audience while I was running camera at Precept Ministries, noticing I was back (I had worked there for awhile and gone on to other things). She said, “That’s Mark, he comes and goes. He moves with the cloud!” and everyone laughed, including me. When she’s right, she’s right. That was longer ago than I care to admit. Not sure where my earthly version of the Promised Land will be, if I have one…apparently I still have as much to learn about being home as I do about making one.

The pics show to what level I’m already committed. I’m no handyman and I have a strong aversion to jumping into new territory in many areas, but spackling, sanding and painting I can do, thanks to years of mission work for the painting experience and a college architecture class that required all 3 for our 9-square grid model base. The pictures show where I am at the moment. In a word, “behind schedule” (OK, 2 words). But not without hope. And you can apply those terms any way you want, as well.