Mikare
09-18-2005, 01:36 PM
This is long but well worth the read...
Hey there Everyone,
Just wanted to share this post from one of ours that lives in New Orleans. I know it is long but is well worth the read.
>>long story short, i'm safe....as it seems you already know. amazing
how word travels...heh. whoever is keeping the list liked me twice
as much - myrten is listed twice....wink
i got to jackson ms. the day before the storm, and the storm
followed. still got hit by the witch as a category 1. mississippi
was in BAD shape. so the group i traveled with decided to go help.
gas, water and food was a problem everywhere. so we shoepolished
new orleans slogans on our cars and started making runs, delivering
all the essentials to those in need (we thankfully were staying in a
place that got power back before most). got as far south as
hattiesburg in some of our trips. people started calling us
the "New Orleans Krewe". it felt good to help.
a little less than a week ago i left there and went to amarillo, tx
(is where i am originally from - parents and safety there). i'm
better off than many. no flooding in my neighborhood (thank the
gods for the irish channel!) but it was in the path of the 15-20
thousand left on their own at the convention center. the wal mart
that was shown being looted on tv was just down the street. my
feeling is, please, break in and get what you need - if it saves a
life, go for it. but what are you gonna do with my TV???
one of the guys i went to college with was the amarillo director of
the red cross and is now the regional director up here. long story
short, i'm headed back to NO as a volunteer to help my city out for
the next week and a half. (great to have friends in high places)
so, i will be out of contact again for a bit while trying to help
out the home i love.
we will survive this. we will be back. we will rebuild and it will
be better. there is too much majic in our city. it refuses to die,
even when it's punched full of holes and starts to bleed. she's a
tough old girl (she has the scars to prove it) but she will survive.
as far as her people - those of us you now find dropped on your
doorsteps, please read the following (it was sent to me by a fellow
new orleanean - really hits the nail on the head):
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear America,
I suppose we should introduce ourselves: We're South Louisiana.
We have arrived on your doorstep on short notice and we apologize
for that, but we never were much for waiting around for invitations.
We're not much on formalities like that.
And we might be staying around your town for a while, enrolling in
your schools and looking for jobs, so we wanted to tell you a few
things about us. We know you didn't ask for this and neither did we,
so we're just going to have to make the best of it.
First of all, we thank you. For your money, your water, your food,
your prayers, your boats and buses and the men and women of your
National Guards, fire departments, hospitals and everyone else who
has come to our rescue.
We're a fiercely proud and independent people, and we don't cotton
much to outside interference, but we're not ashamed to accept help
when we need it. And right now, we need it.
Just don't get carried away. For instance, once we get around to
fishing again, don't try to tell us what kind of lures work best in
your waters.
We're not going to listen. We're stubborn that way.
You probably already know that we talk funny and listen to strange
music and eat things you'd probably hire an exterminator to get out
of your yard.
We dance even if there's no radio. We drink at funerals. We talk too
much and laugh too loud and live too large and, frankly, we're
suspicious of others who don't.
But we'll try not to judge you while we're in your town.
Everybody loves their home, we know that. But we love South
Louisiana with a ferocity that borders on the pathological.
Sometimes we bury our dead in LSU sweatshirts.
Often we don't make sense. You may wonder why, for instance - if we
could only carry one small bag of belongings with us on our journey
to your state - why in God's name did we bring a pair of shrimp
boots?
We can't really explain that. It is what it is.
You've probably heard that many of us stayed behind. As bad as it
is, many of us cannot fathom a life outside of our border, out in
that place we call Elsewhere.
The only way you could understand that is if you have been there,
and so many of you have. So you realize that when you strip away all
the craziness and bars and parades and music and architecture and
all that hooey, really, the best thing about where we come from is
us.
We are what made this place a national treasure. We're good people.
And don't be afraid to ask us how to pronounce our names. It happens
all the time.
When you meet us now and you look into our eyes, you will see the
saddest story ever told. Our hearts are broken into a thousand
pieces.
But don't pity us. We're gonna make it. We're resilient. After all,
we've been rooting for the Saints for 35 years. That's got to count
for something.
OK, maybe something else you should know is that we make jokes at
inappropriate times.
But what the hell.
And one more thing: In our part of the country, we're used to having
visitors. It's our way of life.
So when all this is over and we move back home, we will repay to you
the hospitality and generosity of spirit you offer to us in this
season of our despair.
That is our promise. That is our faith.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
soooooo - thank you all for the thoughts and the kind words and the
help and the tears.
i'll be back in touch when i can. be safe, be well and keep the
faith!
Robert (Myrten/Rykell)<<
Mikare/Cindy
http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/NOCon2005/
use for Katrina contacts and useful Links
Lifekeep? You must ask me for it...
"You sir, are no cleric. You claim to be a holy warrior. Be one."
-Morandas
Hey there Everyone,
Just wanted to share this post from one of ours that lives in New Orleans. I know it is long but is well worth the read.
>>long story short, i'm safe....as it seems you already know. amazing
how word travels...heh. whoever is keeping the list liked me twice
as much - myrten is listed twice....wink
i got to jackson ms. the day before the storm, and the storm
followed. still got hit by the witch as a category 1. mississippi
was in BAD shape. so the group i traveled with decided to go help.
gas, water and food was a problem everywhere. so we shoepolished
new orleans slogans on our cars and started making runs, delivering
all the essentials to those in need (we thankfully were staying in a
place that got power back before most). got as far south as
hattiesburg in some of our trips. people started calling us
the "New Orleans Krewe". it felt good to help.
a little less than a week ago i left there and went to amarillo, tx
(is where i am originally from - parents and safety there). i'm
better off than many. no flooding in my neighborhood (thank the
gods for the irish channel!) but it was in the path of the 15-20
thousand left on their own at the convention center. the wal mart
that was shown being looted on tv was just down the street. my
feeling is, please, break in and get what you need - if it saves a
life, go for it. but what are you gonna do with my TV???
one of the guys i went to college with was the amarillo director of
the red cross and is now the regional director up here. long story
short, i'm headed back to NO as a volunteer to help my city out for
the next week and a half. (great to have friends in high places)
so, i will be out of contact again for a bit while trying to help
out the home i love.
we will survive this. we will be back. we will rebuild and it will
be better. there is too much majic in our city. it refuses to die,
even when it's punched full of holes and starts to bleed. she's a
tough old girl (she has the scars to prove it) but she will survive.
as far as her people - those of us you now find dropped on your
doorsteps, please read the following (it was sent to me by a fellow
new orleanean - really hits the nail on the head):
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear America,
I suppose we should introduce ourselves: We're South Louisiana.
We have arrived on your doorstep on short notice and we apologize
for that, but we never were much for waiting around for invitations.
We're not much on formalities like that.
And we might be staying around your town for a while, enrolling in
your schools and looking for jobs, so we wanted to tell you a few
things about us. We know you didn't ask for this and neither did we,
so we're just going to have to make the best of it.
First of all, we thank you. For your money, your water, your food,
your prayers, your boats and buses and the men and women of your
National Guards, fire departments, hospitals and everyone else who
has come to our rescue.
We're a fiercely proud and independent people, and we don't cotton
much to outside interference, but we're not ashamed to accept help
when we need it. And right now, we need it.
Just don't get carried away. For instance, once we get around to
fishing again, don't try to tell us what kind of lures work best in
your waters.
We're not going to listen. We're stubborn that way.
You probably already know that we talk funny and listen to strange
music and eat things you'd probably hire an exterminator to get out
of your yard.
We dance even if there's no radio. We drink at funerals. We talk too
much and laugh too loud and live too large and, frankly, we're
suspicious of others who don't.
But we'll try not to judge you while we're in your town.
Everybody loves their home, we know that. But we love South
Louisiana with a ferocity that borders on the pathological.
Sometimes we bury our dead in LSU sweatshirts.
Often we don't make sense. You may wonder why, for instance - if we
could only carry one small bag of belongings with us on our journey
to your state - why in God's name did we bring a pair of shrimp
boots?
We can't really explain that. It is what it is.
You've probably heard that many of us stayed behind. As bad as it
is, many of us cannot fathom a life outside of our border, out in
that place we call Elsewhere.
The only way you could understand that is if you have been there,
and so many of you have. So you realize that when you strip away all
the craziness and bars and parades and music and architecture and
all that hooey, really, the best thing about where we come from is
us.
We are what made this place a national treasure. We're good people.
And don't be afraid to ask us how to pronounce our names. It happens
all the time.
When you meet us now and you look into our eyes, you will see the
saddest story ever told. Our hearts are broken into a thousand
pieces.
But don't pity us. We're gonna make it. We're resilient. After all,
we've been rooting for the Saints for 35 years. That's got to count
for something.
OK, maybe something else you should know is that we make jokes at
inappropriate times.
But what the hell.
And one more thing: In our part of the country, we're used to having
visitors. It's our way of life.
So when all this is over and we move back home, we will repay to you
the hospitality and generosity of spirit you offer to us in this
season of our despair.
That is our promise. That is our faith.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
soooooo - thank you all for the thoughts and the kind words and the
help and the tears.
i'll be back in touch when i can. be safe, be well and keep the
faith!
Robert (Myrten/Rykell)<<
Mikare/Cindy
http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/NOCon2005/
use for Katrina contacts and useful Links
Lifekeep? You must ask me for it...
"You sir, are no cleric. You claim to be a holy warrior. Be one."
-Morandas