Urban Pioneers

[TheEvan]

This came up talking with excath and I promised I'd post something on this.

We went to New Orleans 10/14 to help sis-in-law Christine get some things out of her attic and rescue the last of the furniture from her 2nd floor of her Lakeview home. It's for sale and has had a few nibbles but nothing serious so far. The 'hood is still mostly a ghost town. One of the few occupied homes had a "Katrina graveyard" as part of their Halloween display. Funny...and not, considering hunderds died in this neighborhood alone.

Afterwards we took a ride over to (wife) Nancy's old neighborhood, in the older part of Lakeview. The house she grew up in is just now being stripped out in preparation for rebuilding. About a fourth of the houses on her block have been razed with more to come. Two houses down, the new house that was built over a 'tear-down' (can you say "big n expensive?") has burned (since Katrina) and when it collapsed it destroyed the wonderful bungalow next door.

The was a scattering of FEMA trailers around, perhaps one or two per block, in which owners are living while they rebuild. Nancy's across-the-street neighbor has one in her front yard. She's living in it and supervising the rebuild. Her husband lives in Lafayette where his office has relocated. That's a common situation. He built her a deck for her trailer, complete with bbq grill, lighted plastic palm tree, etc...all set up for entertaining. After all, this is New Orleans.

She said it's busy and noisy during the day with all the work underway, but at night it's an urban wilderness: no lights, utter quiet, almost nobody about. Over the months she and other urban pioneers have found each other. They take turns having dinner at their places and having an evening of visiting. I noticed another FEMA trailer in the next block with one of those screen tent shelters, a frequent gathering place for this ragtag community. Mary said she's having the time of her life and wouldn't trade the experience for anything. She has a whole new set of best friends.

People are resilient.

[jardinero]

Wow, great report, Ev. Thanks for taking the time to post that.

Good for Christine. I had wondered how she was doing.

I think when people go through such tradgedy in their lives, particularly when they seemingly have lost "everything" (by way of possessions), love and friendships have a way of becoming the prized treasures of their lives.

Here's to resiliency!

J.

Edited November 18, 2006 by jardinero

[rhino]

All my froups of friends post twi were in New Orleans ... most of them in Lakeview ... I just yesterday got the courage to contact another one, and found out about that group of friends. It seems most are rebuilding and living in Metairie or the North Shore. I'm glad they are hanging around ... in a way that is my roots now, oddly enough ...

Edited November 18, 2006 by rhino

[ex10]

Evan, do you know what the French Quarter is like? Are many of the businesses up and running again? I would like to go over for a week-end, but can't quite convince anybody else around here to go along.....

[TheEvan]

The Quarter is on the highest ground in town. It's A-Ok, as is the warehouse district (where the galleries & such are), and parts of Uptown are all right as well.

The recently expanded WWII Museum in the warehouse district goes beyond excellent & interesting. Moving and transformative is more like it...

There are enough open restaurants and live music aplenty.

[ex10]

Thanks, Evan. I would so love to have a getaway week-end with my dearly beloved, and the "live music aplenty" will certainly entice him.

And I confess to having a desire to support the local economy with our tourist dollars, as well. ;)

[polar bear]

Thanks for that info. Ev. Keep us informed as to how it is going there. Most of us have no idea of what is going on there and how much devastation there was. My heart and prayers go out to those people. Hey Ex. we would love to go New Orleans let us know when you are going. Maybe we can get a bunch of folks to go. I would love to support the economy there too. Party on!

[ex10]

Wouldn't that be a blast, polar bear? You and J especially, considerin the instuments you play, would get lost in the jazz and the blues there. ;) And your lovely missus and I could gab forever, I'm sure.

The good thing is, that flights and hotels are pretty inexpensive right now, as they are really trying to bring us tourists back in.

Hey, maybe we could even twist Evan's arm and get him to drive over?

Edited November 22, 2006 by ex10

[TheEvan]

In a heartbeat, dear lady. I make an excellent tour guide.

[ex10]

What's January or February lookin like?

J got home from work, and I showed him this thread, and he said, "ok let's go after the holiday madness is over with...."

I am so there....checkin out hotels as we speak... ;)

[polar bear]

Can you make it February? Jan. we will be in Mexico.

[ex10]

Don't drink the water. But you probably know that.

February works.

[TheEvan]

Feb is fine 'till 17th...then I'm off to Africa again.

[likeaneagle]

This song is about Hurricaine Katrina

Well you know those times

When you feel like there's a sign there on your back

Say's I don't mind if ya kick me

Seems like everybody has

Things go from bad to worse

You'd think they can't get worse than that

And then they do

You step off the straight and narrow

And you don't know where you are

Use the needle of your compass

To sew up your broken heart

Ask directions from a genie

In a bottle of Jim Beam

And she lies to You

That's when you learn the truth

If you're going through hell

Keep on going, Don't slow down

If you're scared, don't show it

You might get out

Before the devil even knows you're there

Well I been deep down in that darkness

I been down to my last match

Felt a hundered different demons

Breathing fire down my back

And I knew that if I stumbled

I'd fall right into the trap that they were laying,Yeah

But the good news

Is there's angels everywhere out on the street

Holding out a hand to pull you back upon your feet

The one's that you been dragging for so long

You're on your knees

You might as well be praying

Guess what I'm saying

If you're going through hell

Keep on going, Don't slow down

If you're scared, don't show it

You might get out

Before the devil even knows you're there

Yeah, If you're going through hell

Keep on moving, Face that fire

THis sone was written by, Rodney Atkins

It is about Hurricaine Katrina

Walk right through it

You might get out

Before the devil even knows you're there

If you're going through hell

Keep on going, Don't slow down

If you're scared, don't show it

You might get out

Before the devil even knows you're there

Yeah, If you're going through hell

Keep on moving, Face that fire

Walk right through it

You might get out

Before the devil even knows you're there

Yeah you might get out

Before the devil even knows you're there

Yeah

Edited November 22, 2006 by likeaneagle