Evacuation Wonders: How the Fire Can Set Me Free
Evacuation orders were inching in. The cellphone text alerts gradually progressed from “Evacuation Advisory” to “Evacuation Mandatory.” In between, there was enough time to contemplate the evacuation ‘wonders’. While it was clear for me what I want to protect by all means and take with us (our dog, cats, cell-phone, laptop, etc.) and what physical possessions I was willing to let go of, it took me a minute to contemplate what I would actually like the fire burn away.
What came up for me was the wish to toss into the fire my impatience, my attachment to being someone who changes the world, and my ego identification with my accomplishments. Then, also my huge collection of hard copy academic articles and books, so that my study could be transformed to a sacred meditation space.
Then, I also wondered what would I like for the fires to give energy to or fuel growth in? Many things! I would like the fires to add energy to my desire to continue to learn and grow, to ‘do good,’ and to serve social justice. I’d like them to fuel my fighting of the dangerous growing trends of ‘risk management’ practices in medicine and my mission to challenge unexamined beliefs and myths. I’d like them to energize my empathetic caring for family members, friends, colleagues and strangers in need; my capacity to focus on what gives me meaning and joy; and my ability to contemplate and meditate.
— Ofer Zur, Ph.D.