My Hometown

I am mad. I do not yet know with whom but I am just mad. The storm that we all knew was going to be called the "big one" finally hit New Orleans last week. Actually, it was a week ago, Monday when it hit the city. I spent most of the weekend storm-tracking as I often do. Boy, was it a pretty storm. It was a real nice one to track and we really knew it was going to hit a large part of the city.Whatever, everyone knows the results. I watched WDSU on the web all weekend while they were reporting from the Quarter saying all along that they would be leaving when it wasnecessary.They did.I spoke with my mother around 8pm local time (her time, it was 3am here) and we talked about her leaving the city. The mayor had asked those without a way out to go to the Dome and other places with enough supplies for 2-3 days. She said she would leave to Jackson, MS the next morning with the cat and dog too. That was to be Sunday. I found out on Tuesday that she had actually made it safe.WDSU on the web was no longer broadcasting some time on Monday. not sure when they shut down but the link was handed over to WAPT a TV station in Jackson, Mississippi. I tuned in to the web broadcast and saw some of the same broadcast team I had seen in the WDSU studio just a day earlier. I watched as the storn hit the Gulf Coast, thinking that the direct hit had missed the City but thesurge was perfect for Lake Pontchartrain.It was on the mark.When the levees began to break and the reports were coming in about water rushing down "Canal" Street I knew this was going to be bad. This was some time on Tuesday, probably late in the day my time meaning mornings there. Reports from Charity and Tulane hospitals were being broadcasted. They had moved much to the upper floors.I turned off the web-TVThat was almost a week ago.I figured this was going to be a tragedy in the order of the Tsunami or the like and I did not need minute-by-minute coverage of suffering. Over the past week I have one or two news articles on the web a day. I cannot take any more than that.I am mad. And I do not know why and with whom. I am really saddened to see my hometown disappear from the map. One being the water which is in the city (we always knew this might happen) but the situation since then has just really upset me. Sure, I left Nawlins 16 years ago. At that point it was for other reasons - love. Looking back, guess it was fate or whatever you want to call it. Had I not had that reason to leave the country back then in 1989 I might verywell be in the City.I hated much if what the city had become. I had had my experiences of being mugged and thrown off of a St. Charles streetcar amongst others. It was a poor city. Had been as long as I really knew it. Once US oil was not the big ticket on the block in the 70s the party was over. Tourism and convention traffic was to fill the bill. The casinos came to assist in the big plan. New Orleans is (was) a great party town. I just inserted "was" as I am not surewhere the trip goes from here. Strange...So, here I am a week on from the storm reaching the city's edge. I turn away at every update that comes my way whether on the radio or TV. I still choose to pick my bit of updates from the web in written form. And this is from anadmitted news junky!Who me?!?I had a delivery man here today. 6 days after the disaster began. He had placed his load at the steps and had been paid. Then he just stood there staring through me. My initial thought was that he was a bit loose up top but then he said it was a real shame what had happened. Not knowning what he was referring to at first I was ready to just close the door. Then it dawned on me that I was wearing a Jazz Fest t-shirt 2002. Realizing what had captured hisattention I said a few words and he was then gone.14 t-shirts are now in the back of the closetI am not ready to be approached by strangers 3000+ miles away from New Orleans who honestly want to talk about the situation. I can understand their curiosity but I am notready.What do you tell the kids?Good question. Well, their Grandmere made the 200 mile drive in only 12 hours. She is safe and her animals too. According to the satelite pictures it looks like her area is dry too. All this is really the important good news. At least for them. Their family is safe and will find a home somewhere else on this planet. From the suffering of many others there they will not learn from me in thisdecade. I hope.I guess this is a personal story of mine. I have lost that part of the world which I had called my home town. I cannot say this to people here without too many questions arising. Honestly, is there a home left there to call home? I have lived away from this "home town" for 16 years but my connection to the US was always through this town. Now the umbilical cord has been severed. I feel a bit disoriented. There are many questions which have not risen but will need an answer. I read of people who are driven from there homes due to storms or wars. These "homeless" are often lost for years and left to create new lives in a new, foreign part of the world. I almost feel like one of these "homeless". Not in the sense of not having a house or roof over my head, I do, but that my roots and my "home" are gone. At least for a long while.The sun shone on Wednesday this week. While the waters were pouring into the city we were enjoying some long awaited late summer weather. It was hard trying to enjoy the local situation on one hand while knowing, or not knowing what was going on around the globe. But then, this happens often and is part of life. Our direct family is safe and well. Ithink the sun is planned for tomorrow again.I am still mad but still not sure at whom.PH, Sep 5 2005