Great Minds Aren't Flammable

As I watched my house and all of my material possessions burn to the ground, 

engulfed in flame, 

I understood that the universe and I had come to an agreement. 

I have always been cocky, ready to take all of my problems head on, 

And this was no execption.

I wasn't shocked as we all stood in the firehose-soaked driveway,

as the firemen fought dearly to save as much as they could.

But it was too late.

Nothing was left.

Only a few walls still stood in the place that I had grown up.

The smell of burning electrical wires made me sick as the firemen walked us

from room to room

examining the sites as if it were a strange new museum.

I recognized the melted laptop that I used to do my homework,

the blackened stack of burnt papers that was all of the music I had performed in

the last 8 years.

I recognized the dead dog that rested almost peacefully in the corner

of the living room.

How ironic.

I felt a numb sensation slowly travel through my extremities as I fought the urge

to shut down, to go to sleep, to call it a day and try again tomorrow.

The universe was trying my patience.

As we moved out of the house, I rode with my principal back to the school.

I can't remember the rest of that day.

I do remember thinking,

"What will I do?

How can I live without a house?

Without the collection of guitars that I had used to make money?

Without the computer that I had used to type papers?

Without my anatomy textbook that I had forgotten that morning?

Without my dog that I used to play fetch with in the hallway?"

I have come to realize in the past 6 months 

that I am fortunate to adapt easily.

And that if I were trapped on an island,

with nothing else, 

I would need one thing.

I need my mind.

I need the ability to sit down and think.

To work through problems.

To make progress forward.

Because without that, that ability to 

tunnel your vision and stop feeling sorry for yourself,

whether you're stuck on an island,

or homeless,

you would have nothing. 

I am thankful that I have such a powerful mind.

That I can power through anything because of my vision,

and my drive,

and my motivation.

I am glad that for the first month of sleeping on my grandparents' floor, 

I was able to power through it.

I fought the fire and won.

Not because I had my life,

but because I had my mind.