To save or not to save

So many people lost their loved ones, their homes, their cars, and their other prized possesions during the recent floods brought about by Tropical Storm Ketsana, referred to locally -- and already used as an adjective and verb -- as Ondoy. Rich or poor, everyone in the metro was affected, either directly or through loved ones, friends, and/or workmate.

Surveying the damage and the losses right after the worst of the flood was the most painful... or so one might think. It has actually been a series of pain and torture. My home was spared, but I had so much stuff at my parents' house, I had even just a fraction of an idea of what they felt. First, devastation, then helplessness, then the overwhelmed sense you get when you are faced with a to-do list so long and a time table so tight. Then you learn to let go, take a deep breath, then begin the process of cleaning up and rebuilding. All throughout picking up a lesson or two.

One thing Typhoon Ketsana has taught me is that when faced with a few minutes before disaster strikes, what can I save?
We spend so much time and resources accumulating stuff that there's just too much to consider saving in an emergency. Accumulating's not bad, especially when it's done to set up a home, to meet certain basic needs. The extras, they add thrill to everyday living. But when one has to flee, the word 'essentials' flashes before you. But then again, what are the true essentials among one's "stuff"? The very word is absolutely subjective

What I hope to save (in no particular order) are:

1. Photos. That's personal history there. They're framed, stacked, stored. Some say post them online, it's safer. Burn them onto CD's. But really, is it safer? We should have a back-up of back-ups. My photos are all in a box to put in albums and scan later on. Later on?! In the meantime, no one can see them.
2. Cosmetics. They're replaceable, I know, but it costs a lot to replace them all at the same time. Maybe just the essential cosmetics.
3. Gadgets. These are the ones that help me make a living, stay organized, and stay in touch. Essentials :-)
4. Documents. Ok, I know. Scan and back-up. There's always the NSO, the church, the City Hall, etc. But the hassle!!! As long as we're discussing paper, I lost my baby book, my piano pieces, and my Jane Austen books to the flood. Oh well.
   
5. Jewelry. Same as cosmetics, but more so because some, even if not expensive, are heirlooms. I lost my ballet costumes, my last pointe shoes, and who knows what else? These were like jewelry to me, at least some time in the past when they mattered.

Lessons learned: get good light, airtight, acid-free storage, travel (through life) light, and live life -- experience the feel of fabric, the scents, the sights, the experience of sitting on the couch all day.

I hope it never happens again, but when -- if -- forced to leave them behind or chuck them off as gone -- I'll have clear memories of all I once possessed, then go have a ball getting new sets of truly essential stuff. Keeping in mind, of course, that they're just stuff.