Anniversary

Today's the first anniversary of our house fire. I think about where the time went and what's changed.

For me, the most painful thing about the house fire was the death of my cat, Oleanna. I'd had her for 14 years, my first pet I'd gotten on my own, and a companion through every significant phase of my adulthood. She was a smart, funny, loving cat. In a strange way, I feel some guilt about having moved on without her.

So where has the year gone? I realize now it can be divided into three phases. First, the insurance post-mortem from June to October. Second, our period in Oakville, Ontario from October to Februrary. Our period in Toronto from February to the present. Each phase was four months, strange.

What do I have to show for the year? Insurance money and much, though not all, of my belongings replaced. Life in a (slightly) different country.

The most significant accomplishment was writing my screenplay Alien Harvest, and by a fluke of timing, yesterday I mailed that script to Ridley Scott's assistant. I realize the odds aren't good, but at the risk of indulging in some writerly jargon, I feel like I owe it to the characters to give them a chance.

I've gotten some really positive feedback from the three people who've read the script--Nicole, Bart, and my friend here John O'Neill. None of them (not even Nicole) dole out compliments insincerely, which I appreciate. Two of them said one of the best things a writer can hope to hear--Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. (I've gotten some very helpful suggestions, too.) So I'm hoping that Ridley Scott's assistant is curious enough to pick it up and just read the first few pages.

Also, yesterday, my attorney filed suit against the company whose product started the fire. We've all heard of the elderly woman made a millionaire because she spilled McDonald's coffee. So what sum do you think you could pursue from a company whose product burned your house down, killed your cats, and put your life in a tailspin? Well, not much, no where close to what that woman got. Part of that has to due with the conservative judges appointed in New Orleans, yet another way the Bush administration is fucking me over.

I don't want to end on that negative note. So I'll say that I feel like my life is moving in a positive direction. I don't know the external destination, but inside the trip feels OK with the possibility of improving.

Integral Theory

Recently, I read this interview of Ken Wilber and found it fascinating. If you have a philosophical inclination, I highly recommend considering it.

Wilber is the founder of integral theory, which is his attempt to make sense of our disparate bodies of knowledge. With integral theory, he offers a model about how many fields, from physics to biology to psychology and spirituality, relate and have meaning for our lives. This appeals to me. So I read a primer on his theory The Integral Vision. Now I'm reading Sex, Ecology, Spirituality: the Spirit of Evolution, which is an exhaustive examination of this subject. Maybe you'd like this, too.

Today's (not) the deadline

Speaking of saving money and as I've posted, today's the deadline for enrolling in Access to Care. Get on it, crazy people!

Update: I just learned that the enrollment deadline has been extended to the end of May and the coverage deadline has been extended to November 14th. That's two more months to procrastinate, crazy people.

Access to Care

The American Red Cross offers anyone affected by Hurricane Katrina $2000 for any kind of mental health treatment. I write this to encourage you (or anyone you know) to avail themselves of this resource. The program is called Access to Care, and you can enroll simply by clicking here or calling 1-866-794-HOPE (4673).

I was seeing a therapist after the hurricane, and it was nice to have this available. By going on-line, I signed up in less than ten minutes. Claiming the benefit was relatively simple, too. The benefit is broad in its application. The subject of your therapy doesn't have to be directly about Katrina, per se. That's not to say you're screwing the Red Cross over; the manifestations of the stress of the hurricane is unique to each individual.

Also, the benefit will pay you for therapy retroactively. Any therapy you've paid for since the hurricane can be refunded, essentially amounting to a windfall. Don't delay, though. The deadline to sign up is the end of March. The deadline to use the benefit is the end of September (I think). The deadline to file your last claim is the end of December.