Sara, I recall October 22, 1991, it was late morning on a Sunday, Indian Summer, and a bluebird day in San Francisco where I was from and watching from across the bridge. Your story is heartbreaking yet sweetened by gratitude for one small life, your beloved Squeaky, giving hope for humanity and the kindness of strangers during a tragedy. Naturally, we’re now grieving for Los Angeles. Thank you for your remembrance.
We had a fire when I was a child and our house burned to the ground. Of course, my parents had to deal with the nightmare of dealing with the insurance companies, but it was a tragedy that I'll never forget. The silver lining was that it taught me about impermanence and the transient nature of "things". This post brought it all back, and I never knew we shared this common experience. Like you, the LA fires bright back this trauma, and I feel so bad for the victims. I hope they can find comfort in their community.
To Chrrilyn: there were cats that showed up months, years later. Cats are wild animals we pretend to domesticate and they have incredible skills.
Thank you for this Sara, not only as a memory important to Oakland but as a beautiful piece of writing. I realize I've been waiting to read this since all the fires changed California yet again.
But I never knew you then or that house. As I read this piece I thought of the wonderful welcoming home I did know, that you will not return to and it's making me sad again....
Wow, Sara. This is the best post of yours I've ever read and one of the best I've read anywhere about the real experience of losing a home to fire. It has your trademark honesty, not running from the reality that wasn't pretty but not wallowing it in either. The details tell the story: the journals that became ash, the "shopping" at the church....
What I was amazed at was the cat. Squeak really survived????? How???? Can you add something about that? As you said in the piece, it had seemed there was "nil" chance that he'd survived. What do you know about that?
Are you familiar with Meghan Daum on Substack? She just lost her home (she was renting) in Alta Dena and is doing a series of podcasts on the experience. I'm a subscriber and am going to link your post here in her comments.
Sara, I recall October 22, 1991, it was late morning on a Sunday, Indian Summer, and a bluebird day in San Francisco where I was from and watching from across the bridge. Your story is heartbreaking yet sweetened by gratitude for one small life, your beloved Squeaky, giving hope for humanity and the kindness of strangers during a tragedy. Naturally, we’re now grieving for Los Angeles. Thank you for your remembrance.
Wow, Sara. I didn’t know that part of your history. What a compelling (but sad) story!
We had a fire when I was a child and our house burned to the ground. Of course, my parents had to deal with the nightmare of dealing with the insurance companies, but it was a tragedy that I'll never forget. The silver lining was that it taught me about impermanence and the transient nature of "things". This post brought it all back, and I never knew we shared this common experience. Like you, the LA fires bright back this trauma, and I feel so bad for the victims. I hope they can find comfort in their community.
To Chrrilyn: there were cats that showed up months, years later. Cats are wild animals we pretend to domesticate and they have incredible skills.
Thank you for this Sara, not only as a memory important to Oakland but as a beautiful piece of writing. I realize I've been waiting to read this since all the fires changed California yet again.
But I never knew you then or that house. As I read this piece I thought of the wonderful welcoming home I did know, that you will not return to and it's making me sad again....
Wow, Sara. This is the best post of yours I've ever read and one of the best I've read anywhere about the real experience of losing a home to fire. It has your trademark honesty, not running from the reality that wasn't pretty but not wallowing it in either. The details tell the story: the journals that became ash, the "shopping" at the church....
What I was amazed at was the cat. Squeak really survived????? How???? Can you add something about that? As you said in the piece, it had seemed there was "nil" chance that he'd survived. What do you know about that?
Are you familiar with Meghan Daum on Substack? She just lost her home (she was renting) in Alta Dena and is doing a series of podcasts on the experience. I'm a subscriber and am going to link your post here in her comments.