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When I was living in Knoxville a couple of years ago, I applied for a job as a transcriptionist for the sheriff's department. I probably would have gotten the job, being an awesome transcriptionist and all; however, one of the requirements on the application was that you had to list every address at which you had lived since the age of 18, and you must include the entire address including the zip code. WELL. I had a clear visual of each and every place but as to the address...

Here's what my application would have looked like, in reverse order starting with the address where I was at the time I would have applied for the job:

1. 400 Hitchcock Way, Knoxville, Apt. No. Kill Me Now. No one should put 2 adults and 4 children and one 90-pound dog in 1100 sq. ft.
2. 3xx3 San Pedro St., Paradise, FL. 2-1/2 blocks from Tampa Bay.
   
3. 2409 Old Coach Trail, Paradise, FL. Gillian's first home.
   
4. Sean, Mollie, Shannon, and my favorite apt, NE Coachman Rd, Paradise FL.
5. 4th at 4th, Safety Harbor, FL. Close to the Christmas Parade!
6. Shannon's Birthplace Condo, St. Pete. FL.
   
7. Feather Sound Apt., St. Pete, FL.
8. Shamrock House, Tampa, FL. Mollie's first home.
   
9. House on Tampa side of Tampa Bay off Bayshore.
10. Royal Oak, MI house. Sean's first home. The "Levittown House"
11. Hideous Estrella St. apartment, Tampa.
    
12. Barton House, Nashville.
13. Belle Meade duplex, Nashville. Governor of TN and Minnie Pearl were neighbors.
14. Murfreesboro Road apartment.
    
15. Woodmont Blvd. duplex - now an office building...
16. Metairie, LA apartment - victim of Katrina.
17. New Orleans duplex close to City Park - victim of Katrina.
18. East New Orleans apartment - victim of Katrina.
19. College apartment across from Bolivar County Hospital, Cleveland, MS
20. College apartment in former church.
21. First ever home of my own: tiny, furnished apartment near Delta State University.

Since then, I've added 3 more addresses to that list, with yet a 4th soon to come. One learns to pick and choose one's treasures carefully when you move them around frequently. I'm moving china around I picked out at 16 that I don't really love any more, but my daughter does, so that matters. I off loaded a bunch of books that I love but are replaceable. My granny quilts and my photographs get packed up first, kitchen appliances and cooking implements last. (priorities, priorities).


When my family left Florida for new adventures in more northern latitudes, we left with our things in a tractor trailer jammed full, our vehicles full with pull behind trailers. My own comfort level for how much stuff to own is somewhere between Gandhi and that.

I like to live by the rule that one should be able to throw everything they can't do without into their car within 10 minutes and run for their life if they have to. Obviously, this has more practical application in places with volcanoes, tsunamis, wild fires, and hurricanes. But it does give you something to think about.