diff --git a/bin/run_examples.sh b/bin/run_examples.sh
index 5532d48..22f2f8a 100755
--- a/bin/run_examples.sh
+++ b/bin/run_examples.sh
@@ -9,21 +9,14 @@ build_path=$root_path/build
 examps=$root_path/examples
 
 # Setup a big list of files for a few of the examples
-big_list=          $examps/intro/hello_world.mdesk
-bit_list=$big_list $examps/intro/labels.mdesk
-bit_list=$big_list $examps/intro/sets.mdesk
-bit_list=$big_list $examps/type_metadata/types.mdesk
-bit_list=$big_list $examps/type_metadata/bad_types.mdesk
-bit_list=$big_list $examps/expr/expr_intro.mdesk
-bit_list=$big_list $examps/expr/expr_c_like.mdesk
-
-echo ~~~ Running Memory Management Example ~~~
-$build_path/memory_management.exe $big_list
-echo
-
-echo ~~~ Running Multi-Threaded Parse Example ~~~
-$build_path/multi_threaded.exe $big_list
-echo
+big_list=()
+big_list+=("$examps/intro/hello_world.mdesk")
+big_list+=("$examps/intro/labels.mdesk")
+big_list+=("$examps/intro/sets.mdesk")
+big_list+=("$examps/type_metadata/types.mdesk")
+big_list+=("$examps/type_metadata/bad_types.mdesk")
+big_list+=("$examps/expr/expr_intro.mdesk")
+big_list+=("$examps/expr/expr_c_like.mdesk")
 
 echo ~~~ Running Type Metadata Generator Example ~~~
 cd $examps/type_metadata/generated
@@ -42,5 +35,13 @@ echo ~~~ Running C Like Expression ~~~
 $build_path/expr_c_like.exe $examps/expr/expr_c_like.mdesk
 echo
 
+echo ~~~ Running Multi-Threaded Parse Example ~~~
+$build_path/multi_threaded.exe ${big_list[@]}
+echo
+
+echo ~~~ Running Memory Management Example ~~~
+$build_path/memory_management.exe ${big_list[@]}
+echo
+
 ###### Restore Path ###########################################################
 cd $og_path
diff --git a/examples/integration/memory_management.c b/examples/integration/memory_management.c
index 916be1c..e097438 100644
--- a/examples/integration/memory_management.c
+++ b/examples/integration/memory_management.c
@@ -9,10 +9,95 @@
 #include "md.h"
 #include "md.c"
 
+//~ pretend config file ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+
+typedef struct ConfigFile{
+    MD_Arena *arena;
+    MD_String8 file_name;
+    MD_String8 contents;
+    MD_Node *root;
+    MD_MessageList errors;
+} ConfigFile;
+
+ConfigFile*
+new_config_file_from_file_name(char *file_name_cstr)
+{
+    MD_Arena *arena = MD_ArenaAlloc();
+    ConfigFile *result = MD_PushArrayZero(arena, ConfigFile, 1);
+    
+    MD_String8 file_name = MD_S8Copy(arena, MD_S8CString(file_name_cstr));
+    MD_String8 contents = MD_LoadEntireFile(arena, file_name);
+    MD_ParseResult parse = MD_ParseWholeString(arena, file_name, contents);
+    
+    result->arena = arena;
+    result->file_name = file_name;
+    result->contents = contents;
+    result->root = parse.node;
+    result->errors = parse.errors;
+    return(result);
+}
+
+void
+release_config_file(ConfigFile *file)
+{
+    if (file != 0)
+    {
+        MD_ArenaRelease(file->arena);
+    }
+}
+
+//~ just to simulate new config files coming from somewhere ///////////////////
+
+int    in_files_count = 0;
+char** in_file_names = 0;
+int    in_file_iter = 0;
+
+ConfigFile*
+new_config_file(void)
+{
+    ConfigFile *result = new_config_file_from_file_name(in_file_names[in_file_iter]);
+    in_file_iter = (in_file_iter + 1)%in_files_count;
+    return(result);
+}
+
 //~ main //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
 int
 main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
-    // TODO(allen)
+    // make sure we have something to parse
+    if (argc <= 1)
+    {
+        fprintf(stderr, "pass at least one input file");
+        exit(1);
+    }
+    
+    // setup the the source of files
+    in_files_count = argc - 1;
+    in_file_names = argv + 1;
+    
+    
+    // pretend there are unpredictable lifetimes tied to real-time events
+    {
+        // first we get three config files
+        ConfigFile *files[3];
+        files[0] = new_config_file();
+        files[1] = new_config_file();
+        files[2] = new_config_file();
+        
+        // then we chaotically replace the slots for a while
+        for (MD_u32 i = 10000; i < 20000; i += 1)
+        {
+            MD_u32 x = (i >> (i&3)) ^ (i << (16 + (i&3)));
+            MD_u32 slot_index = x%3;
+            
+            release_config_file(files[slot_index]);
+            files[slot_index] = new_config_file();
+        }
+        
+        // then we're done with all the config files
+        release_config_file(files[0]);
+        release_config_file(files[1]);
+        release_config_file(files[2]);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/examples/integration/multi_threaded.c b/examples/integration/multi_threaded.c
index e78471e..5962383 100644
--- a/examples/integration/multi_threaded.c
+++ b/examples/integration/multi_threaded.c
@@ -75,21 +75,6 @@ parse_worker_win32(LPVOID parameter)
 int
 main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
-#if 1
-    char *argv_dummy[8] = {
-        0,
-        "W:\\metadesk\\examples\\intro\\hello_world.mdesk",
-        "W:\\metadesk\\examples\\intro\\labels.mdesk",
-        "W:\\metadesk\\examples\\intro\\sets.mdesk",
-        "W:\\metadesk\\examples\\type_metadata\\types.mdesk",
-        "W:\\metadesk\\examples\\type_metadata\\bad_types.mdesk",
-        "W:\\metadesk\\examples\\expr\\expr_intro.mdesk",
-        "W:\\metadesk\\examples\\expr\\expr_c_like.mdesk",
-    };
-    argc = 8;
-    argv = argv_dummy;
-#endif
-    
     // make sure we have something to parse
     if (argc <= 1)
     {