Spirit of New Orleans: 8 Year Anniversary

Eight years ago, today, Hurricane Katrina battered New Orleans.  It seems like a long time, but when I sit down to stop and think about it, the memories are still fresh.  August 29, 2005 nearly a thousand lives perished at the hands of Katrina, and thousands of the destitute lost the little they had.  Still today, while the Big Easy has resurrected to a great extent, I see countless people struggling to find some relief, whether financially or emotionally.  I don't think six or eight or even twelve years is enough to get over something so tragic.  But what amazes me is that their faith and devotion to this place they call home is steadfast. 

I had a somewhat different experience with Katrina, nothing like these people had.  We had a small gas station at the time and lived about 180 miles from the city.  At first, much of Mississippi lost power.  Their was a lot of damage from trees and floods.  We were out of school for several weeks, and I could never forget how hot and humid that summer was.  No air, no light, no ice, scarce water...it was definitely an experience.  At the gas station, people pummeled one another for the food we had left on the shelves and gunshots were fired for the little gasoline that was left. Some would attempt to sleep outside at night just to feel a breath of fresh air.  Lovebugs swarmed the place--in our cars, in our houses, even in our mouths at times.  It was bad, but it was never like it was for those south of us.  With our schools, many of us spent the next couple of years, helping to rebuild the coast of Mississippi.  The destruction we saw was appalling and unforgettable. 

I didn't live in New Orleans until many years later, and I always felt that it had an aura of somberness.  To this day, many places, schools in particular, have not been reestablished.  However, I do believe that when this city is further rebuilt, it will be nothing less than the New Orleans it once was.  There's something about the people there.  Something unshakeable.  New Orleans is a city of flaws.  But I think that's what makes the place so special.  During the seemingly-endless restoration, the culture lived on.  The spirit was revived.  And the storm could take away everything, but no storm, no natural disaster, could ever shake the resolve of the New Orleans' citizens.