new orleans blues

My last post reminded me of a time when home security was foremost on our minds. We weren't concerned so much with saving money on insurance - we were concerned with saving our own lives.

Now that we live in Arkansas, we often hear of the progress (or lack-thereof) of New Orleans after the hurricane aftermath. Currently, the city is gearing up for Mardi Gras again and is hoping to get some of their usual crowd to bring in some much needed revenue for the city. Many political leaders are also still waiting for additional government assistance to set the wheels back in motion.

My parents had a chance to visit the disaster areas a few months after the storm, and recorded much of their visit on videotape. It was just too hard to explain the situation in words, so my father opted to make a family "documentary" of sorts so that we could see what had happened to our once "home" town. It was vicious and devastating and for the most part, just plain unrecognizable.

In reality, I can't see anyone wanting to move back to New Orleans now. I know that there are die-hard natives intent on weathering the rubble and instability, but I just don't see the point. What was once a thriving cultural epicenter has been dying for the last twenty or more years, and the hurricane only reinforced the smell of death.

We moved away from New Orleans in 1990. After being jumped, robbed, held at gunpoint and shot at, our family decided that we had experienced enough of New Orleans' unique flavor. Although it was difficult to uproot our entire family and move someplace new and totally different, I am happy that we "escaped" when we did - storm or no storm. In fact, aside from an occasional interest in genealogy resources, I'm not sure if I ever want to return.