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 |  If I don't write about it, I might implode. |
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On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina and levee breaches destroyed my home and my birthplace, but not my hope and my sense of humor. This journal is a place for my thoughts and opinions as I cope with surviving Katrina and as New Orleans recovers.   "Invalid Entry"  - A list of U.S. levees in possible danger of failing."Invalid Item" - I owe so many thanks.Post Katrina - Items related to the storm and its aftermath. http://www.levees.org - A source for information about levees and flood protection in New Orleans and nationwide.Invalid Item - For poetry and prose related to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and New Orleans.http://www.amillionthanks.org - To show the U.S. Military Men and Women, past and present, appreciation for their sacrifices, dedication, and service through letters, emails, cards, prayers, and thoughts. http://www.neworleansonline.com - The City of New Orleans' Official Tourism Website.Writers: Invalid Item - On saving your writing in case of disaster.http://www.womenofthestorm.net/index.php- "Women of the Storm" is a non-partisan non-political alliance of Louisiana women whose families, businesses and lives were affected by Hurricanes Katrina and/or Rita. Members are culturally, socially and economically diverse.http://www.saveourcemeteries.org - The official site.http://tinyurl.com/ColeenPerillouxLandryGallery - Coleen Perilloux Landry's Photo Galleries. See Louisiana and New Orleans as you might not have ever seen the state and city. Yes, some devastation remains, but even Katrina and the levee breaches could not destroy all of the beauty that surrounds New Orleans and Louisiana. Laissez le bon temps rouler! (Let the good times roll!) |
| Even being a Katrina survivor does not exempt you from being a victim of this crime... After discovering a strange charge of over $200 on her debit card, Friday morning, my sister contacted the bank and found out that someone was actually making illegal purchases through her account. The bank informed her that they were beginning an investigation, but my sister and I also researched the company where the illegal purchase was made. We found the company online and then phoned them. They were cordial and actually revealed that they were having a pretty big problem, this year, with people making illegal purchases. The company cancelled the order, and the bank said they would refund the money to my sister's account. Before all was said and done, however, the person using the debit card illegally tried making another purchase that cost over $400, this time, which was denied because the bank was aware it was illegal by then. So, my sister decided to just close that particular account and to open another. Please beware and remain safe this holiday season! Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a joyous, prosperous, successful New Year! |
| The streetcar returned, today, along a section of St. Charles Avenue. The historic green streetcars will run from Canal Street to Lee Circle, seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The full streetcar line on St. Charles Avenue and along South Carrollton Avenue to South Claiborne Avenue is expected to be back in service by the end of 2007. We consider it another small boost for the city. All signs of hope and recovery help, no matter how small or unimportant those signs might seem to some others. The Streetcar http://www.heritagetrolley.org/existNewOrleans.htm St. Charles Avenue http://www.inetours.com/New_Orleans/St_Charles_Streetcar.html Lee Circle http://wikimapia.org/4251/ |
Last night's local newscast included a small story about the return of one of New Orleans' traditions--the New Year's ball drop atop Jax Brewery. Like New York, we would have a ball (a much smaller ball, though) drop as the final count down into the new year began. The tradition wasn't carried out in 2005 because of Katrina and the levee breaks, of course. This year, however, we're going to have a gumbo pot drop as the final count down happens.  How cool is that?  |
| I caught snippets of Ed Bradley's memorial service, earlier this week, on the news. It seems New Orleans lost a great friend with his passing. I learned how much he loved the city, its jazz music and musicians like Aaron Neville, Charmaine Neville, and Winton Marsalis, and that Mr. Bradley was known for attending the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (http://www.nojazzfest.com/), or "The Jazz Fest," as we locals are known to call the festival. At a time when New Orleans could use all the good friends it can get, the city lost a great friend in Ed Bradley. |
| I've been working on a "How I Survived Katrina" piece since forever, it seems. Life just keeps getting in the way, causing me to take longer and longer to finish the piece. Before I actually write that particular bit of non-fiction, though, I decided to sort of map out my journey with a timeline. I'm sure it's that decision that's slowing me down, too, in finishing the "How I Survived..." piece. In the meanwhile, here is "Invalid Item" , if interested.On the homefront, a report was released, yesterday, stating that New Orleans is still missing about 57% of its pre-Katrina population. Some city officials were upset about the report because some of the funding that the city receives is based upon the city's population. So with the city's population smaller than expected, it could possibly mean a cut in certain funds. I can understand why that would upset city officials, but not why they appeared so shocked by the report. With parts of the city still looking like they'd been bombed, and with the lack of truly affordable housing, it's of no wonder that the city is still missing over half of its population. And for some of us who were able to venture back, it's not quite a picnic, either. Hopefully, within a year or so, it will be, once again. Hopefully... |
| ...the world is full of s***, literally and figuratively. E. coli and other intestinal related diseases have been found on all sorts of things in public, including public telephones, ATMs, computer keyboards such as the keyboards on computers in public libraries, and those makeup samples where anyone and their momma can come along and dip their fingers into. And don't forget the recent E. coli outbreak with the fresh spinach, here in America. Although the bacteria probably contaminated the spinach through means other than tainted hands, we're either not washing our hands at all, or not washing our hands properly. On the figurative front--Since Katrina and the levee breaches, I am 100% certain that the world is full of s***. There are several things that have confirmed my suspicions, but none more than these three things: the federal government breaking its promises while accusing innocent people of fraud; middle class families falling through the cracks where housing is concerned; some people actually growing jealous of the measly compensation received by some Katrina survivors. Too busy trying to cover their asses for the fraud facilitated by them, FEMA has been battling with the New Orleans Public Works department over some of the repairs needed to the city's street drains and street signs. Some of the workers FEMA hired, recently, to repair the drains were actually destroying some of the drains in the process of cleaning the drains, etc. When the city approached FEMA about paying for the repairs, FEMA refused, saying that the drains had not been damaged by the storm and that, therefore, they won't pay for the repairs although the damage was caused by the agency they hired to clean the drains. And FEMA is definitely full of s*** when accusing moi of fraud! Dumbass federal agency! If I had a worst enemy, I wouldn't even wish dealing with FEMA on him/her. Dear Reader, if you have not had to deal with FEMA, I pray that you never, ever have to. So for adding to the stress, anger, anxiety, and depression I and many others have been dealing with since the levee breaches, here is your s*** Award, FEMA: ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only **  As for housing--affordable, liveable housing is still pretty scarce in New Orleans. More and more homes are being rebuilt, but the city still has a long way to go. And right now, if you aren't a homeowner or someone who was living in the ghetto, you're pretty much powerless where housing is concerned. Being a homeowner definitely gives you a certain amount of power in America. The first type of funding discussed for housing in New Orleans was geared toward homeowners while renters were left feeling like they were standing on rooftops as the water continued rising. No one really gives a damn about renters. Oh, wait...my bad, someone does care--the landlords who were allowed to double and triple the rents on their rental properties. So while some people would like to believe that Katrina survivors are living off the federal government, rental assistance is being cut. But the cuts certainly aren't causing the landlords any concern. Nope, they're not even batting an eyelash as long as they're allowed to charge sky-high rents. They're not worried because if their current tenants can't afford the rent, anymore, then all the landlords have to do is evict the current tenants, knowing that there are many, many more New Orleanians yearning to be home. Rental property won't sit empty for too long, these days. As for new homes, most of the new homes being built are condominiums and very expensive, single homes. There has been very little discussion of plans for rental housing and for creating affordable housing for the middle class. So, to the landlords and developers at work in New Orleans, who only care about profits, right now, and to Governor Blanco and Mayor Nagin for not consistently addressing the need for affordable housing, here's a little something for all of you: ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Last but not least, are the people who have actually grown angry and jealous toward some of the Katrina survivors who were eligible for compensation. I've seen friendships end and rifts come between families. It really is a sad commentary on mankind when this kind of thing can happen. How could anyone be jealous of someone else who lost just about everything they owned and had their lives turned upside down thanks to one of the worse man made and natural disasters to occur? It's just absurd to me. No amount of money could replace the memories my family and I created in our last home where we lived for eight years until Katrina struck. No amount of money could replace family photographs and various other treasures. And to have someone grow angry and jealous toward us certainly doesn't help us heal. Ah, well...c'est la vie. So, to the misguided, confused haters, this award is for all of you: ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** And, yet, even after dealing with all of this crap, I remain an optimist. I refuse to give up on mankind. Which will probably bring me to my ultimate downfall. Trusting in the government on all of its levels has stripped me of my life as I knew it, once already. I'm less trusting, but I still believe. |
The latest nonsense: A gunshop owner made a radio commercial in which he warns Houston residents to arm themselves against "Katrinians." When asked what he meant by "Katrinians," he replied that "Katrinians are the ones without jobs." So, once again, we have this dangerous generalization of people. What I would like to know is how can he even tell if someone is from Houston or New Orleans just by looking at a person. How do you find out, otherwise, that the person you see on the street is from either city? I guess the gunshop owner expects people to pull out their guns and interrogate people at gunpoint: "Freeze! Now, y'all tell me where y'all from!"  It's just ridiculous, and makes me think of Elmer Fudd hunting Bugs Bunny. Instead of being called "Wascally Wabbits," I guess we New Orleanians would be "Nawty N'Awlinians." Okay, that was lame... I'm just tired of being called a "sinner," a "criminal," and all things in between. I don't know who that gunshop owner thinks he's fooling, but it's obvious that he's using the Katrina slant to make a profit. Unfortunately, whether he realizes it or not, he might also be causing a further rift between evacuees and some Houston residents who already want New Orleanians to "go home." Too bad there isn't as much profit in creating peace as there is in stirring up more trouble and further dividing people. |
| The Superdome finally reopened on Monday, Sept. 25 '06. Outfitted with a new roof after Hurricane Katrina blew off the building's last roof, and overhauled on the inside to repair damage caused by evacuees, The 'Dome, as it's called sometimes, looks its best. The way it looks now, it's hard to imagine that it was once a place filled with pain, anger, and agony a little over a year ago. The celebrations surrounding the Dome's reopening were great. One of our local news crews sponsored a concert featuring musicians from New Orleans. The local band, Cowboy Mouth, was among the acts performing outdoors, along with the Goo Goo Dolls, who served as the headlining outdoor act. Inside the Dome, U2 and Green Day performed a cover of "The Saints Are Coming" by The Skids. The reopening, itself, was huge accomplishment #1. The Outdoor Stage: ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Before the Re-Opening of The Superdome: ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** After the Re-Opening: ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** The Saints beating the Atlanta Falcons 23-3, and remaining undefeated, for now, was huge accomplishment #2.  ESPN's broadcast of the game was the second most-watched cable television broadcast. But, while the game was ESPN's highest-rated telecast ever, the game still fell short of the all-time cable-TV ratings held by the 1993 Al Gore and Ross Perot CNN debate about the North America Free Trade Agreement. Almost 15 million viewers watched the Saints-Falcons game.Screaming fans inside The Superdome: ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** The reopening was deemed mostly successful. It was definitely something we needed, here in New Orleans. It felt so good to see the Superdome make such a big comeback. Lots of tears were still spilled, but this time there were tears of joy mixed with tears of pain. We still have a long way to go, especially in the Ninth Ward and Lakeview areas, despite some homes already being rebuilt in these neighborhoods. The good days are beginning to occur, more and more, but life is definitely still a struggle, emotionally and financially. Just beneath our surfaces, memories of the past year are almost as fresh as if Katrina struck days ago. We can't simply forget what happened or just get over it. All we can do is try to cope. And pray that the world doesn't forget, either, that we still need and appreciate all that has been and is still being done to help New Orleans and Her people recover. We  y'all!Bono's close up as U2 performed at The Superdome's reopening: ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** The Dome at Night: ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Photos are Copyright © deep fried kudzu . All Rights Reserved. |
| As I sit, remembering the pain, anger, loss, grief, patriotism, and unity that 9/11 caused, I can't help but also think about the controversy that New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin's comment caused a couple of weeks ago. The hoopla began the Thursday before the 60 Minutes episode where Nagin was interviewed for the one year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. When asked by the reporter why the recovery effort seems to be going so slow in New Orleans, Nagin went on the offensive and reminded the reporter that New York was still grappling with its own rebuilding effort where the Twin Towers once stood. In replying to the reporter's question about New Orleans, Nagin ended up referring to the spot where the towers once stood as "a hole in the ground" that still exists although it has been five years since 9/11. While I found his reference completely insensitive, I understood the angst behind it. I am not one who particularly sympathizes with or for politicians, but I can relate to why Nagin grew defensive. Despite it being a year plus since Katrina, her survivors are still dealing with fear, anxiety, depression, uncertainty, grief, and several other emotional and mental issues. We've experienced our share of verbal abuse about our city and ourselves, so it's almost natural for us to go on the defensive. Don't roll into town and question us in a way that seems to suggest that what happened in New York was more devastating, and expect us to remain hospitable. Still, with that said, as a public servant, and a representative of New Orleans and its residents, Nagin should have kept the first answer to pop into his head to himself. He should have used more tact and made his point in a more eloquent way. Although he has recently made a reputation for himself as a "straight-talker," there are more intelligent ways in which he could have made his points. In the future, I hope he chooses those ways when controversial issues arise because just as we continue to suffer, I'm sure that the families and friends of 9/11 victims continue to do so, too. The disasters of 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina are incomparable--they are both devastating enough to cause grief for years and years and years. What's more important to me, at least, is that we remember and that we remain there for each other as Americans and simply as human beings. Shortly after 9/11, I remember coming across this page: http://tinyurl.com/eptgj. If you would like to read what I and many others wrote, then please visit http://tinyurl.com/hf5jf. Update: Two websites are gone. |
| I went to the Writing.Com store to buy GPs and as I scrolled through, enjoying my look at the newest items, I remembered that I once owned a W.com clipboard and pens. I lost the board and the pens in the flood.*sigh* I tell myself that it's selfish of me to long for my destroyed material things when over a thousand people lost their lives in the storm and when the levees breached. Still, I just miss some of my things... With such widespread devastation, I continue to search for the greater lessons I might need to learn as a Karina survivor. All of the clergy throughout the city like to point to the fact that "Katrina" means "cleansing," so I try to figure out what part I might've played in bringing such a destructive force down on so many. I take even less things in life for granted, these days. I don't gossip, but, then again, I haven't really gossiped since high school. I try to be kind to all I meet. So why couldn't my family and I be spared the pain of losing just about everything we'd owned? Maybe that's the greater lesson. Race, culture, class--none of that mattered when Katrina arrived. She destroyed without discrimination and ironically caused communities, cities, states, and people to come together. Unity in New Orleans could never be a bad thing. During quiet moments, I'll sometimes catch myself asking "why? why? why?" Otherwise, I'm okay with coping with the loss of stuff and suddenly having life turned upside down. In the end, I know that I'll be okay, that we'll be okay. It's just that sometimes I want life to rewind to its pre-Katrina days, while other times I want life to fast forward so my family and I will have replaced all that is replaceable. Still, we're lucky...the storm and breaches destroyed about ten years of economic growth, but my family and I estimate that it'll take us about another year or two before we can live as comfortable as we did before Katrina. But sometimes, I just want my Writing.Com clipboard and pens back... |
| In searching for inspiration, I sometimes like to read my favorite bible verses. Then, there are other times when I like to search for inspirational quotes. Here are a few that touched me, recently: "Endurance is one of the most difficult disciplines, but it is to the one who endures that the final victory comes." - Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta "...the task which has been set before us is not above our strength; that its pangs and toils are not beyond our endurance. As long as we have faith in our own cause and an unconquerable will to win, victory will not be denied us." - Winston Churchill "There is a strength of a quiet endurance as significant of courage as the most daring feats of prowess." - Henry Tuckerman "Wondrous is the strength of cheerfulness, and its power of endurance--the cheerful man will do more in the same time, will do it better, will preserve it longer, than the sad or sullen." - Thomas Carlyle "I know quite certain that I myself have no special talent; curiosity, obsession, and dogged endurance, combined with self-criticism, have brought me to my ideas." - Albert Einstein "We shall draw from the heart of suffering itself the means of inspiration and survival." - Winston Churchill "We need 4 hugs a day for survival. We need 8 hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth." - Virginia Satir |
| It has been more than a year since the levee breaches destroyed about 95% of the things I owned, yet I still find myself reaching for, or looking for, some of those things I've lost. A few weeks ago, I was working on a short story and wanted to look something up in relevance to the story, only to end up having to remind myself that the writing reference book that I was about to look for was destroyed in the flood. I once had these neat little, plastic bookmarks that were made like a bee and a butterfly that I used to clip onto the edge of the page where I'd stopped reading a book... I almost went looking for them and had to remind myself that they were destroyed in the flood. It's usually the little things that I have to remind myself about, like favorite pens that I once used to write my stories longhand whenever I wanted to. But it's the loss of more important things like family photo albums, my original birth certificate, my high school diploma, the American Flag we received when my dad, an army veteran, was buried, my psych research and term papers from when I was an undergrad psychology student, and lots of other priceless memorabilia... Although losing material things is no comparison to losing limbs, I sometimes find myself looking for "phantom belongings" like someone who has lost a limb might experience the phenomenon called "phantom limbs" where the person swears he can still feel the arm or leg he has lost. Rebuilding New Orleans can be debated for years to come, but one thing that will remain unchanged is the fact that even if everyone had evacuated the city, the devastating flooding caused by the levee breaches would have still destroyed about 80% of the city. And there's only one thing that could have possibly prevented, or at least lessened the flooding: the proper building and maintenance of the levees by the Army Corps of Engineers along with the proper oversight by the New Orleans Levee Board. Maybe I would still own some of my phantom belongings, and no lives would've been lost if we New Orleanians of voting age wouldn't have fallen asleep at the helm and grown complacent, failing to request the proper building and maintenance of a stronger levee system, years ago, as tax-paying Americans. Just maybe... But I can't keep dwelling on the past, or on "what coulda, shoulda been." I have to try to keep moving forward. |
| I was lucky enough to be evacuated by family, escaping Lake Ponchatrain's water before it flooded into the city. If not, then I fear I might've ended up bused, or flown, to Texas. Out of all the many other cities and states that displaced New Orleanians now live in, none have been so vocal in their disgust of Katrina survivors than Texas. All New Orleanians were soon branded as "criminals" and "free loaders" as Texas' southern hospitality began to wane. Texas has become the prime example of "Katrina Fatigue." But, to be fair, I'm sure other states and many other people are tired of hearing about Katrina and its aftermath, also. Hell, I'm almost tired of hearing about Katrina. But as a survivor, how can I just forget about such a horrific event in my life? If only it was so easy! I wish like hell that I could just get over it like some people believe that we should! And try as I might, I simply can't find all the words to try to make everyone understand what we've gone through and continue to go through. Maybe it's because deep inside, the people who think we should "get over it" don't like that Katrina helped to expose the poverty, racism, and political corruption we still grapple with in America, particularly in The South. It's evident in the comments made: "They were told to get out, so they should've left the city when they were told! It's their fault and I'm not sending a dime to help rebuild that cess pool!" "What great city?!?! There's some good food and drinks, but nothing else. What makes New Orleans so special?" "Why waste my tax dollars on rebuilding such a corrupted place? They're a bunch of idiots for building and living in a punchbowl, anyway!" "New Orleans got what they deserved and no tax money should be used to rebuild that place." How do I make people who say such things understand the pain we're still dealing with? How do I make them realize that all of New Orleans' citizens are not criminals? How do I make them understand the danger of generalizing groups of people? Comments like those above are just heartbreaking when you know you've been a hard working, tax paying American citizen. And when you think you've heard it all, a bunch of people from West Houston crowd into a church to hold a town meeting where they demanded Houston's mayor to send New Orleans evacuees back home. They're tired of dealing with "the criminals" and maybe tired of constantly being reminded of Katrina's aftermath, also. I can understand not wanting to have to live with crime. Who wants to live in crime-ridden neighborhoods? And while I'm sure that criminals from New Orleans have gone on with their criminal activity in the other cities they're now living in, it is not every New Orleanian who is committing crime. I have no problem with Texas being fed up with having to deal with additional crime, but when some of the state's citizens start generalizing and seeing all New Orleanians in negative ways, it's not fair. Sure, hold a town meeting when things begin to get out of hand in the community, but why not try to realistically address the problem(s)? Why not demand the mayor and the police department to step up in policing those areas where citizens think crime is rising? I watched one of our local newscasts broadcast some of the town meeting, yesterday. One woman stood and complained that she was tired of being accosted by panhandlers while another woman stood and complained about not being able to visit a park because apparently the way to get there is occupied with evacuees. Why not ask your mayor and your PD to get out to those areas and work on making them safer, again? Why just give up and demand that all New Orleanians be sent back home? How does that addage go?...Oh, yeah--If you're not a part of the solution, then you're a part of the problem. If you think you weren't effected by what happened to us in New Orleans, then please think again. For one, it has certainly added to the hefty burden American tax payers already face. And whether we like it or not, New Orleans and Louisiana is important to American History, despite corruption. Political corruption will exist on some level, even when we believe we've properly exercised our right to vote and have worked to elect "honest" leaders. Show me an American state or city where some form of political corruption has not taken place, please. I'm not saying that corruption should be tolerated. I just feel a need to defend my hometown in light of Katrina as some people feel New Orleans should not be rebuilt because of its corruption. Despite how upset I got after learning of what the West Houston residents were demanding, I can understand their plights. They want their community back just as badly as we New Orleanians want our former communities back. Still, I would ask them to beware of generalizing people. Not all of the evacuees are criminals. Criminals come in all shapes, sexes, and complexions. Poverty does not only affect/effect black Americans. Gainfully employed, tax-paying American citizens come in all shapes, sexes, and complexions, too. Last but not least, I would ask those West Houston residents who gathered in the church to try to continue putting themselves in our shoes--into the shoes of those from New Orleans who made honest livings and obeyed the laws. We exist, too, and I'm truly sorry you had to deal with the criminal element from New Orleans. Despite all the hoopla, I would just like to say "thank you" to Texas, nonetheless, for opening their hearts to displaced evacuees... ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
| I've been crying a bucket of tears, today, as I watched some of the events held to remember Katrina on a couple of our local television stations. The loss and pain is almost as raw as it was on August 29, 2005. No, I didn't lose my life, but losing my home and the ways of life that kept me and my family much, much, much more self-sufficient is hurtful and hard to deal with, nonetheless. To work hard and remain a law-abiding American citizen for decades, and then have your life turned upside down, overnight, mostly because of the failure of a government agency is extremely hurtful. The Army Corps of Engineers was entrusted with the responsibility to build adequate levees. The agency not only botched that job, but also refused to admit their part in the devastating flooding until July of this year. And even then, they still have not really been held accountable for the fatal mistakes they made in their building plans. It is indeed hurtful, angering, and heartbreaking to be a loyal tax payer, only to end up feeling like your government doesn't give a damn about you. It's also heartbreaking to hear some of the negative comments some Americans are still saying about Katrina victims (those who did lose their lives) and Katrina survivors. In seeking to rebuild, we are not asking for handouts, but a hand up. We pray that America remains mostly compassionate about our plight and keeps all of Katrina's victims and survivors in their thoughts and prayers. Despite images of looting and chaos, most New Orleanians are law abiding people who just happen to be among the working poor. Which is also why some stayed in the city after a mandatory evacuation was called for--they lacked a way out, mostly due to financial reasons. They simply could not leave and there was no citywide hurricane plan to help them escape the storm. If we New Orleanians are to be blamed for anything, it's for voting to put incompetent politicians into office. Yes, we failed ourselves on a certain level, but our local, state, and federal governments failed us, also. But, it has been a year... It's time for the healing to deepen and for us to truly get down to business with rebuilding. We're not as dire as some of the media would have the rest of America and the world believe, but we are also a long, long way from getting the rest of the city to even resemble what the French Quarter and the neighborhoods near the Mississippi River look like. To anyone who still believes that we got what we deserved for living in such a vulnerable area, all I ask is that you take time to put yourself in our shoes. Do you have the financial means to simply uproot your family and move? Do you have the financial means to simply move and begin a new life? How would you feel if your birthplace was suddenly devastated by circumstances that were mostly beyond your control? Don't you love your hometown? And think about it--natural disasters can happen anywhere and have happened elsewhere. Please stop putting all the blame on us and help us move forward. It's currently 7:02 p.m., here in New Orleans... About this time, last year, my family and I were working on cleaning up and disinfecting our house, excited that we would be spending the night in our own beds despite the "legitimate" flooding the house had received. I say "legitimate" flooding because the first flooding was from the storm surge while the devastating flooding was from the levee breaches. The "legitimate" flooding only rose to the top of our toes. The devastating flooding rose to my waist and caused a strange rash on the back of my thighs that were cured with antibiotics and topical cremes. I'm grateful to be alive, and to at least be back home with a roof over my head despite the hardships my family and I still face. Thank you to all the Americans and everyone from all over the world who continue to think of us and support us. |
| Sometimes we feel so alone in this... That either people who haven't gone through what we've gone through don't care or can't understand. Some people are tired of us and just want us to go away and shut up and quit whining. We've been called every name in the book from "sinners" to "criminals" to "free loaders." We've been hated and looked upon with disgust and told that "people who live below sea level deserve to die." Tuesday, August 29, '06 will mark one year since Hurricane Katrina, and sometimes we still feel so alone... |
| According to CBS's Up to the Minute, about 5.3 billion dollars in donations have been made toward Katrina victims while about 500,000 volunteers have come to help rebuild the Gulf Coast. The many volunteers I've seen; the money I have not. Wherever those billions of dollars are going, or have gone, I hope it was to people and organizations that really needed it because while my family and I are definitely better off than some other Katrina victims, our savings are gone along with retirement funds. Unable to return to former jobs, salaries have decreased while rent has tripled here in New Orleans. My family and I are blessed, but we're still struggling to survive financially. And just about every time we seem to take a step forward, we're pushed two steps back. To add to financial woes--we learned Saturday that FEMA has suspended our rental assistance funds as they investigate for fraud! Unbelieveable...!!!! My sister and I are among the ones who didn't defraud the government and now we're being accused! Well, bring it on! Isn't it beautiful how the American government takes care of its hard working, law abiding citizens?!?! |
| I wish such a term, or condition, would have never materialized. I remember wanting to cry when I first heard those words on the evening news, but I experienced it months before I first heard the words. After about a week of living in the shelter, it became obvious that the people who'd promised that they were there for the long run for us had quickly grown tired of us. The change in attitude toward evacuees left most of us feeling like we'd been used to draw attention and funding to the church that sponsored the shelter. I, myself, was sought out to do four interviews with reporters with camera crews, and one interview with a reporter from Donaldsonville's local newspaper. And when Diane Sawyer from Good Morning America came with her crew, one of her assistants grabbed me while another assistant grabbed my sister. I gave a one on one interview that I hope is never shown, and my sister was asked to confront our Governor Blanco when she and several other government goofs came to the shelter. We were treated pretty decent while the cameras were around, but not so decent as the days passed. It took my family and I almost two weeks to find available housing, just in time to avoid being bused off to Baton Rouge or some place else by the people who'd sworn they were there for us. Don't get me wrong--I appreciate everything that everyone did and is still doing to help us get back on our feet. We're lucky that people cared because I do believe we New Orleanians share some of the blame for what happened. We share some of the blame because we fell asleep at the helm and failed to stay on top of how the Army Corps of Engineers were building and taking care of our so-called levees. It's one thing when a storm surge over tops a levee, and a whole other ballpark when the storm surge busts through poorly built levees. So, yes, we voters and politicians in New Orleans and Louisiana share a bit of the blame. Still, we don't control Mother Nature. August 29, 2005 was just a day destined for disaster. If people say they're there for us, then please be there for us. It's been almost a year, but surviving Katrina isn't something we can just get over. We try to cope as we work to rebuild homes and lives. We're still too fragile to play mind games. Please continue to be there for us. We only want a little compassion and understanding. Despite the millions of dollars wasted through fraud, there are decent people among the survivors... Decent people who did the right thing with the funds they received. Please don't generalize us, and please continue to be there for us. We need you and appreciate you. |
| Four days from the one year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, there's a tropical depression brewing in the Carribean Sea. It's the fifth storm of the hurricane season, and it's expected to strengthen and enter the Gulf of Mexico. Ah, well... It's worrisome, but I can't live in fear. All I can do is make sure I'm prepared, along with my family, to evacuate, if it comes to that. One thing I'm making sure to do is secure everything that pertains to my writing. When I let myself think about all the handwritten journals, writing reference books, books, in general, notes on stories and story ideas, floppy disks and CDs where I'd stored many, many stories and poems, that was lost as it all sat in about 7 feet of flood water, I get a heaviness in my chest and stomach that only goes away when I take deep breaths and stop thinking about what I'd lost. I like to deny it, but I'm sure I suffer from some level of PTSD like almost everyone else who has survived Katrina. But I thank God that I'm at least alive, and then I stop thinking of my material things because I could have lost more precious things like my family or my life. I can't even fathom being a mother that lost her grip on her young son as the water they were trying to escape swept him from her arms. Then being that same mother who dies in a house fire along with her other son while living displaced in Milwaukee, unable to attend her younger son's funeral when his remains are finally identified nearly a year after he died... That was a true story that ran in our newspaper, The Times Picayune, last Tuesday (8/21/06). Me losing some material things simply does not compare. When I start feeling down, I always try to remember that life could be a lot worse. |
| I have so many people to thank for their support! After only being able to come online via my cell phone, the area of the city where I currently live finally received repairs so that I can have Internet access through my PC again. It took almost a year for the repairs to be completed. Such is the progress, here in New Orleans. Sometimes I think we're doing okay given the scope of the disaster, and then there are times I think we're living up to the stereotype that the people and life in the South are slow. Ninety percent of the time, though, I think we're rebuilding as fast as possible. After all, New Orleans will never be the same, and rebuilding thousands of homes and lives won't happen overnight. Nonetheless, I'm happy to be online again, and working on thanking everyone for their support, concern, and gifts. Thank you to everyone who has helped in some way, whether you donated money, clothing, or housing, or came to help gut moldy houses and help clean up the city. Thanks for even just thinking of us, not only here in Louisiana but also in Mississippi. Thanks for easing the suffering. |
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