Anchors Amidst the Chaos

Life moves at a different rhythm in a town where a handshake seals deals and neighbors know you by your car’s honk.

Seven months ago, our house contractor stopped by the Holy Pie Pizzeria to tell the owner—the town’s building inspector—that he was starting to build. Bypassing the regular permitting process, a short chat and a handshake were all it took here. That was six months ago.

Yesterday, I walked into the Holy Pie Pizzeria, and behind the counter was none other than the same gentleman, Jake. He told me he’d just been in my house to inspect it and that it was stunning. He said he’d be signing off on it soon but recommended it be cleaned—“All that work dust and all.” Then, hushedly, he said, “But if you all wanted to stay in there sooner, I wouldn’t tell.” I thanked him but told him we would wait a week because we were leaving for vacation.

Just this morning, in the chaos of helping Dave find the right lane at a wonky intersection, things escalated when the person next to us honked. We hurried to pull behind the person in all the confusion and stress to ensure we made the light. At the same time, I got a text: “I was trying to shoot y’all a bird! I even honked.” Seeing the freshly cleaned white SUV, I realized it was Dan, my sister-in-law’s brother, and our neighbor.

Moving to a town with a population of less than 1,000 from 30,000 is quite the change, and it’s in moments like the one I shared above that I see the value and why I knew this leap would pay off.
On the other hand, living out of a suitcase is not normal. For three weeks, I’ve been wearing and rotating through the same four outfits, which, although you worry people will notice and judge, sure does lessen the “What to wear, what to wear” finger-tapping-at-the-lips question. Still, I’ve forgotten how luxurious having clean and ample choices is.

Arriving at the beach house vacation rental, I started a laundry load before anything else. A quick load that lasted only twenty minutes meant I had fresh clothes within an hour. But wait, I didn’t stop there. I placed them in a white laundry basket, dumped them on the freshly made bed, folded them, and put them away in the dresser, hanging my dresses in the closet. Each task completed created an anchor, a reminder of normalcy, a taste of what’s coming next.

Even though changes are happening—big, small, and everywhere in between—simply being known in our community or tending to simple acts that bring us back to ourselves helps us find sanity in the chaos.

Love,
Jaclynn