Permanence ...

I suppose all of us, from time to time, reflect on the precarious nature of our
existence and how even things that appear sturdy are actually quite fragile. We have talked in the past about the importance of maintaining constant awareness of those things we hold dear because in an instant we might find them forever lost. And sometimes we know - at the moment we experience something or see a unique sight - that it is a fleeting, but priceless treasure.


Such was the case with a place you have visited with us before, a section of historic downtown Georgetown, S.C. You have strolled the sidewalks of Front Street in our state's third oldest city, visited the shops and restaurants there and embarked from the docks on the river for some of our most delightful excursions. The spot we're talking about housed some of our favorite businesses including a great book store and some great restaurants. It was at one of those ("Limp'n Jane's") where events began on September 25, 2013 that would challenge the character of this charming place.


At a little after 5:00 a.m. that morning, an early morning stroller spotted flames at the back of the building and sounded the alarm. Although the response was immediate, by the time they arrived firefighters found seven buildings engulfed in flames an an eighth, The S. C. Maritime Museum, perilously close to becoming consumed. (It was later learned that the old sprinkler system in the museum valiantly protected the museum until firefighters got things under control!)


When things settled down about five hours later, Front street had been dramatically changed. The immense job of fighting the fire had been replaced with the mammoth rebuilding task now facing Georgetown. But, life has always had it's challenges for the hardy coastal folks around here and they have already set about making the point of this post.


Here's the deal, gang, everything around us is essentially temporary! Long or short, it has it's allotted time. But the things that endure are even more amazing - the indomitable and lasting spirit of faithful and courageous folks, the legacy of love that is passed on from loved one to loved one and the power generated by the commitment of those whose belief in a way of life transcends pain, setbacks, destruction and, yes, even death.


Those are the things that live within the permanent current of the cosmos, things to which we can connect even in the darkest times. Sometimes we spend a lot of time raging against fate or the transience we talked about above. Sometimes we are almost consumed in lamenting the loss of something physical that we knew we couldn't hold forever.


And we very frequently try to create things that will last forever - all the while neglecting to treasure and nurture the inspiration, the love and the dedication that inspired our creativity in the first place. Simply put, I suppose, the message would be - "Nurture your heart, your spirit, your soul. Love with abandon, give of yourself when the time is right and have faith that your dreams can come true."


Above all, remember that while things do pass away, their indelible imprint lives on. That is what we are seeing in the re-building of places like downtown Georgetown, S.C., New Orleans, Sandy Hook, the World Trade Center, the lives of families in Newtown, Aurora, Columbine and, hopefully, along Khreschatyk Street in Kiev. Our world is truly a beautiful place, it's just that we humans tend to go "off track" on occasion and forget what it is that we are really supposed to be doing. We'll be back soon with some adventures and reflections that are not so somber. See ya.

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