My husband and I just returned from a wedding in New Orleans. It was a MUCH NEEDED vacation and a breath of fresh air (if you can say that about NOLA). No thoughts of cancer of bypasses or treatments; just a blessed event of two very much in love people making it official and a lot of alcohol.
This the first time I had been back to the Crescent City since Katrina but let me tell you one thing; NOLA is VERY ALIVE. The reception was at a plantation on the outskirts of the city. We were chartered by bus to the location and it was interesting to me that we went through very poor places of New Orleans to arrive at this gorgeous plantation. Although it has been three years since the downfall of Katrina, I still expected to see trash and sludge and broken homes lining the streets. To my surprise, the area looked clean, or as clean as NOLA gets, and the puzzle pieces were falling into place once again. Under bridges used to be piles of cars that were destroyed from the water's wrath but now they were once again underpasses with nothing to hide. The plantation was on the other side of THE levee and it had been restored, probably even more beautiful than before Katrina. My heart was broken to see the realization of poverty that surrounded this city of party but I felt a calm knowing that the city and its people had bounced back from such a horrendous tragedy.
As we took the bus ride from the historical Jackson Square to the plantation, there was time to think about things. Seeing the poverty outskirts of the city, I could do imagine the depths of the poor that remained inside the core of New Orleans. A guilty pain gripped my heart. I had been feeling sorry for myself because my mimi was sick, I could not figure out the "perfect" job for me, I missed my friends, blah, blah, bull shit. Had I really lost site of important things? Had I really lost the big picture? Granted, when anyone you love is hurting from disease, it hurts you as well, but that does not mean you should feel sorry for yourself! What had I been thinking? I fancied myself as somewhat of a bleeding heart, willing and wanting to help everyone. I have the business savvy and drive to be CEO of a corporation but why do that when I could help so many more. Help those that have absolutely nothing, knowing most of then may never have anything. I was amazed at the progress. People that had nothing, lost everything and then rebuild back to where they were. Granted, they were not in mansions with three sports cars in the driveway, but they had a home and they were grateful.
The government learned some hard lessons with Katrina. It was a mockery and sham how they treated the situation. I remember the week after Katrina being very depressed for those people, hurting for them, the dead and Anderson Cooper. When I watched his newscast, I saw the pain in his eyes. I saw the cry for mercy in his journalism. I saw our country's mistakes. Tears fell from my eyes on a daily basis. But this rebuilding gave me hope. Hope that no matter what, the human spirit can prevail and can be stronger that it was before.
The weekend was a blast. Seeing friends from both the east and west coast, letting go, having fun was worth it. But the lessons I learned by going back to New Orleans were priceless. No more feeling sorry for myself. I had people to help and save from this cynical world.
As we took the bus ride from the historical Jackson Square to the plantation, there was time to think about things. Seeing the poverty outskirts of the city, I could do imagine the depths of the poor that remained inside the core of New Orleans. A guilty pain gripped my heart. I had been feeling sorry for myself because my mimi was sick, I could not figure out the "perfect" job for me, I missed my friends, blah, blah, bull shit. Had I really lost site of important things? Had I really lost the big picture? Granted, when anyone you love is hurting from disease, it hurts you as well, but that does not mean you should feel sorry for yourself! What had I been thinking? I fancied myself as somewhat of a bleeding heart, willing and wanting to help everyone. I have the business savvy and drive to be CEO of a corporation but why do that when I could help so many more. Help those that have absolutely nothing, knowing most of then may never have anything. I was amazed at the progress. People that had nothing, lost everything and then rebuild back to where they were. Granted, they were not in mansions with three sports cars in the driveway, but they had a home and they were grateful.
The government learned some hard lessons with Katrina. It was a mockery and sham how they treated the situation. I remember the week after Katrina being very depressed for those people, hurting for them, the dead and Anderson Cooper. When I watched his newscast, I saw the pain in his eyes. I saw the cry for mercy in his journalism. I saw our country's mistakes. Tears fell from my eyes on a daily basis. But this rebuilding gave me hope. Hope that no matter what, the human spirit can prevail and can be stronger that it was before.
The weekend was a blast. Seeing friends from both the east and west coast, letting go, having fun was worth it. But the lessons I learned by going back to New Orleans were priceless. No more feeling sorry for myself. I had people to help and save from this cynical world.
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