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Our Magnificent
Journey |
Chapter 7 |
New Orleans |
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I drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was gone... |
| People have such short memories. During the last weekend of August 2005 we were globally riveted to our TV sets as we watched in awe as Katrina kicked the bejesus out of New Orleans, the Mississippi Gulf Coast and nearby regions. |
| Then it faded from our collective consciousness – to be replaced by images of the Iraq war. Carol and I naively assumed that – hey, this is America and our government will surely pick these people up, dust them off, set them down in the right direction again, and life will be as it was. |
| It didn't happen that way. It is still not happening that way. We were in shock to find 1) the vastness of the devastated areas, 2) the mind-boggling degree of the damage and 3) a great American city left to its own devices. A proud, graceful and dignified community of souls who have, for the most part, been told “best of luck to y'all” by local, state and federal governments. The essence of the current state of affairs in The Big Uneasy is that we, the volunteer community of “average Joes and Janes,” must do whatever we can for the thousands upon thousands of still homeless Americans, there and elsewhere. So much love and so much loss. It seemed like almost everyone we met had a “dead guy” story. Someone who might have died in an attic from heat/exposure/no water/no food. A relative, a friend, a neighbor. As we drove through St. Bernard Parish and the Lower Ninth Ward, we were shocked to see so many holes cut in roofs, gaping reminders of the horror after almost fourteen months. We hope those folks made it out to safety but we wonder about those folks who didn't have the wherewithal to get out. During our short stay there, at least one more body was recovered. About 180 persons are still unaccounted for. Not to mention the countless dogs, cats, birds and other pets. |
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In the above photo, our friend Marybeth, a volunteer from Toronto, is ripping off drywall in order to clear mold and debris. This is after she and our friend Rebecca, a volunteer from San Diego, performed a "critter search." They were the first ones into this particular house, so they initially had to use rakes to determine if there were any poisonous snakes in the ceilings or in the piles of debris. Marybeth later told me how terrified she is of snakes.
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| We did not expect our experience to effect us emotionally as hard as it did. For days after arriving in NOLA, both Carol and I found ourselves lapsing into tears at unexpected moments. We did not expect to fall so hard in love with the place and the people. But we did. And we're coming back. Damn right we're coming back. With more people who give a damn. To rebuild this city into the national treasure it was and deserves to remain to be. It may take an entire generation. A lot of work, a lot of people. Like you. Please help. They're not called the Saints for nothing… |
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copyright 1998 / david
and carol lehrman / all rights reserved |
email david@davidandcarol.com |