A few months ago, I wrote about how my uncles were systematically reducing my quality of life at the shared family home I've been living in since 2009. Now my uncles are officially throwing me out. A few days ago in the kitchen, I was unceremoniously informed that I had sixty days to vacate the premises. I just said "okay, have fun" and walked away.
The whole thing is very sad in a sense. For many years I was told that this was my permanent residence and I invested enormous energy into the property on this basis. I'd planned on living and working there indefinitely, being there for my childless uncles as they aged. Now they've destroyed their relationships with me while transforming our beautiful old Victorian home into their monument to consumer culture tackiness.
It's sad, but I'm not dwelling on it too much. It helps that I saw the eviction coming from a mile away and had already signed a lease on a sweet new apartment by the time I was thrown out. My biggest difficulty in the situation is that I loathe the actual act of moving. Packing, hauling, unpacking. There are many other things I'd rather be doing with my time.
There are also some strong emotions moving under the surface. I was deeply connected with the house and property for a long time and now that connection has been severed. My grandpa bought the place decades ago so his descendants would have a place in the city to live and practice their creative pursuits. For over a dozen years I worked with one of my uncles to make the place into a healthy environment with art and music at its center. Now another uncle and his girlfriend control the property and they're all about chemical fragrances, miracle grow in the garden, and some of the worst communication imaginable. Their energy isn't clear. It's disgusting.
At this point, I'm totally ready to leave the whole scene behind. My new place will probably be a little weird at first. It's in one of those buildings that feels like a hotel. There may not be space for my sizable art collection. I'm not supposed to smoke in some convenient outdoor areas so I might get into trouble for doing that. But overall I think it'll be a million times better than dealing with my tacky uncles.
This change in my living situation isn't the only thing I've got going on. I'm experiencing it as just one part of a more comprehensive transition into a new phase in my life. The world is changing. Society appears to be entering a time of serious upheaval. Many people are retreating into fear. They're parroting misleading slogans and lashing out at their perceived enemies.
I'm not in their fight at all. Instead of fighting, I'm building, creating infrastructure for the better future most of us want. My small efforts may not be enough to move the needle, but there are lots of other people working alongside me in their own ways. Together, we're creating the future we want to see, and it's okay if average people don't want to get on board. Our systems will work just fine without their participation.
Leaving my home for the last 16 years represents the end of an era. My lame uncles are out of my life. I can go anywhere. Maybe someday I'll have a garden and a workshop again. But in the mean time, I'll be enjoying some fresh vibes in my new building.
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