“Ike” had reached Chicago.
It was raining hard and the Weather Channel said we had 50 mile winds and the rain totals were approaching twelve inches!
Kept checking my basement. Dry. What a break!
I heard splashing upstairs. How could this be when I had a new roof?
The water was pouring in. I frantically called my roofer – eight times before all my telephone lines, land and Internet, shorted out. Called him on my cell. He never returned my calls.
Since then, I’ve been dealing with my insurance company and having carpeting and everything else ripped out. Then ServPro people brought in huge fans and dehumidifiers that sounded like a train they were so loud and blew hot air. They sucked so much electricity I could not use my air conditioning without tripping fuses.
In between, I was wishing for a voodoo doll named “roofer” to stick some pins in!
I read my friend Patricia’s recent article on forgiveness. I was not in the mood. I was MAD!
The insurance adjuster came. He was on the roof a long time.
Finally, he came down and asked, “Did you have a large TV antenna up there?”
It’s an old house. There was one when I moved in but I never removed it.
It was not only gone but it had left an eight inch hole in the roof when the wind tore it out. It is probably in Lake Michigan which is nearby.
It wasn’t my roofer’s fault. (Although he could have at least called me back)
I felt pretty foolish.
The question now is who should I forgive?
The roofer?
Or me for condemning him?
I have some work to do on this.
I guess I have to go back and read Patricia’s article again.
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Corinne,
I love the photo!
Take deep breathes. The forgiveness comes in time.
Ah screw it Corinne …. Did you not teach me “Stuff Happens”!!! Just saw that I have a ceiling problem AGAIN from this rain and most likely from the slum-o tradesman that my landlord hired at nopn-unionrates and so now I HAVE TO GO THROUGH IT ALL AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!
Stuff never just happens … there is usually incompetentcy behind it all. Mine or someone elses.
Corinne, thanks for the link to my article. Feel free to go back and read it as many times as you need to. Isn’t it strange how anger and its underlying fears can blow everything out of proportion and help us to jump to conclusions before we have all of the evidence about a situation.
Hurricane Ike hit Hot Springs, Arkansas worse than Hurricane Gustav the week before. The eye of Hurricane Ike is supposed to have gone over Hot Springs. We were lucky and didn’t have any major damage but trees and electrical lines were down all over our city. Some people were without electricity for a week. Chicago got worse flooding than Arkansas.
Patricia – Spiritual Journey Of A Lightworkers last blog post..Nothing New Under The Sun
No wonder the blogosphere hadn’t heard from you in a while. You were preoccupied with nature’s wrath and the misperceived notion that your roofer “did you in” only to find out that you had an antenna that was ripped off by the fierce winds.
What a nerve wracking time that must have been for you. I’ve certainly found myself thinking the culprit was a a particular person or situation when in reality it was something else, much to my embarrassment.
I guess forgiving yourself is the best place to start as Patricia would tell you. Oftentimes we are hard on ourselves, especially if we find out we misdirected our energy and focus to the detriment of ourselves.
You didn’t indicate whether the roof got fixed or whether your insurance company covered it but I certainly hope all worked out. At least you’re safe.
I think you are right. He, the roofer, should have called you at the very least. It isn’t your fault the aerial blew away. I mean, how often do normal people go and check their roofs? Sometimes shit happens and it’s not your fault. At times like that you need some reliable backup. I hope your insurance decides to stump up for the cost. There is nothing like adding insult to injury and they can be past masters of that.
Dear Michelle -
I could not believe that I found that photo! It was so way out Glad you approve.
Yes, it will take time for forgiveness – a months to restore the damage inside.
I now have a new roof. And it is raining. That is consoling.
Dear Violet Lily Rose -
I agree that “stuff happens!”
BUT THIS MUCH STUFF?
Tearing down sheet rock – replacing windowsills etc etc etc.
Not just redecorating!
Yes, I am calming down. The fans are out!
Dear Patricia -
Yes, I have read your great article several times.
I guess I have to be grateful that all I had was what I got which is a mess.
Areas within a mile of me had so much water they were rescuing little old ladies in row boats. But, it was still not Galveston.
I am counting my blessings in spite of my errant roofer. He had the nerve to call yesterday to ask if he could help. Two weeks later!
In the meantime, I got a real roofer and I have a new roof at least that is guaranteed for five years.
You are welcome for the link. You write so well and help many people! I hope you get some new readers!
Dear Stephen -
Chris Brogan made an offer I could not refuse last week. He said anyone could take any of his posts just for giving him credit. How nice is that?
That’s all I could accomplish in this mess I am in. Interesting that you noticed I was missing! Thanks!
As you said,
“Oftentimes we are hard on ourselves, especially if we find out we misdirected our energy and focus to the detriment of ourselves.”
I am through with forgiveness of me and the old roofer. I got a new one and I have a new roof. A much sturdier one. The inside mess remains. Waiting for my insurance claim to go through.
Your trip sound like it was WONDERFUL! Loved your recounting of it!
Dear Chris -
Sorry you are so far away. I could have used you to negotiate with my insurance adjuster.
You are right. They will not pay for my new roof. Just the repair of the hole.
But I must admit they were fair in the rest of the mess. They told me I was too low on some of my estimates. I just thought I could redecorate. Seems a lot of sheetrock must be torn out.
As I said to Patricia – at least I don’t live in Galveston and as for the Chicago area, I got off relatively easy.
Although as they say, “everything is local.” Local is the mess in my house.
Thanks for your sympathy! I am in the recovery room now and out of intensive care!
Dear Corrine,
I was so sorry to hear about your trouble, what a disaster!!
Jerry and I were away about five years ago. We came home to a mess. Had a leak in our family room. Replaced ceiling, walls & carpet.
It will take time to clean up the mess but it will be OK. You are alright. Thank god for that. My heart goes out to you.
Love,
Patsy
Corinne,
As you know, we just went through Hurricane Gustav and are thanking God profusely that Ike steered west of here. This is our third major hurricane in 3 years, and for Baton Rouge, it was the worst in anyone’s memory.
There is no forgiving when Mother Nature does the deed of interrupting your life and physically damaging your home.
There is anger and then acceptance that there are forces beyond human control, and all we can do is prepare, endure, get out of the way, and move forward as soon as it’s safe to come home or go outside.
I hope your roof is repaired and that ServPro was able to remove all signs of water pouring through it. Your roofer should have called you back, but it’s possible he was unable to in a timely manner. Storms of that magnitude completely disrupt modern life.
I was amazed at Ike because it stayed organized over land long enough to make it all the way to Lake Michigan. I was at a friend’s house watching the weather channel when Ike was a completely organized cat 1 hurricane sitting completely over land with its eye on I-20 in Texas. I knew it would be a bad storm for more than just the Gulf Coast.
It is frightening and awesome that we are so insignificant at times on this planet. We feel we’re in so much control and then an Ike, Gustav, Katrina, Rita, Wilma, Charlie, Betsy, Camille, or Andrew happens to show us just how little control we really have.
Sherri
Hurricane Katrina Pictures – Sherris last blog post..Waiting for the power to go out
Dear Sherri -
Thanks for sharing your experience with us – terrifying as it was.
This part of your comment says it all.
“It is frightening and awesome that we are so insignificant at times on this planet. We feel we’re in so much control and then an Ike, Gustav, Katrina, Rita, Wilma, Charlie, Betsy, Camille, or Andrew happens to show us just how little control we really have.”
Personally, I think we have little control over anything!
My sister had a quore I think of often -
She said, “Your life can change with one phone call.!”
We are subject to “hurrricanes” in all areas of our lives.
I just thank God you and your family are safe.