Our world was turned upside down.
Generally, we don't publish blog posts on the weekend, but I thought surely we could not let the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina come and go and not say a few words.
We all have our memories of where we were that day. What WERE you doing that day? Did you leave? Did you stay? Myself, I was hunkered down in Tallahassee, FL with my husband as I was 9 mos pregnant and we had decided it'd probably NOT be a great idea to stay that pregnant! Thankfully my hard headed little boy waited yet another month and was born, a week late, in Slidell Memorial Hospital. Things were BARELY up and running for the city, but we had a home and a hospital.
Today we remember the lives lost on that horrible day, when the inevitable happened. We know it can happen, we know it has happened and could happen again. Every year it's the same risk, the same possibilities that this season we could see a Category 5 storm ruin our hometowns.
But we accept these risks. We acknowledge these risks as something one has to deal with to live down here. For many of us, although we complain, we know deep down we'd be hard pressed to actually move away if given the chance. And when we do, we keep coming back at least to visit! Louisiana is in our blood, our soul, our hearts. We simply can't just turn our backs on her.
Hurricane season is scary down here (and I want everyone to NOT SAY "at least it's been quiet this year" because those are some famous last words--so just zip it now!) and we pay more in house insurances for several months than some people in other parts pay per year! But we do it. We keep on plugging because that is what makes us unique. (Or hardheaded....whatever!)
We have the best music, the best food, the best art and the best people. Sure, we have our downfalls--crooked politicians, a city built underwater, and streets that even old timers can get lost on---but overall, the good outweighs the bad and once Louisiana has her grip on you, you will never get out!
So today we not only mourn the lives lost on that horrific day when we saw our cities go underwater and treasured memories lost; but we celebrate our future, a better rebuilding, a better growth, a better tomorrow.
I leave you with words to one of my favorite Marc Broussard songs, "Must be the Water" Seriously, download his entire "Must be the water" EP CD. Louisiana music at it's finest.
Long live Louisiana, and stay safe everyone!!
~~Amy
Seen a lot of people come through New Orleans
Get down in the Easy for a change of scene
Now the word is out all over this old town
The big town party's coming, we gonna throw one down
Must be the water
Mississippi River is alive
Must be New Orleans
More than just an alligator bite
Known around the world for the crawfish meat
Got everybody jammin' to the Creole beat
Coming far and wide just to see the show
Just rockin' on the Bayou, so let everybody know
Gotta be the water
Make you play all day, jam all night
Down in New Orleans
Swamp water make me lose my mind
No matter where you from, you ain't seen nothing yet
'Til you come around, party down in Lafayette
My brother serve you up with that etouffee
Just ask for any Broussard if you come this way
Gotta be the water
Make you play all day, jam all night
Must be New Orleans
Swamp water make you lose your mind
No matter if you fly here, drive here, come in on a train
Guarantee that when you leave you won't be the same
If the ladies don't get you, then the hospitality will
If anybody asks then you can say for real
Something in the water
Make you play all day, jam all night
Come on, jump on in, you know the water's fine
C'mon everybody sing
(it's a party jam session)
Generally, we don't publish blog posts on the weekend, but I thought surely we could not let the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina come and go and not say a few words.
We all have our memories of where we were that day. What WERE you doing that day? Did you leave? Did you stay? Myself, I was hunkered down in Tallahassee, FL with my husband as I was 9 mos pregnant and we had decided it'd probably NOT be a great idea to stay that pregnant! Thankfully my hard headed little boy waited yet another month and was born, a week late, in Slidell Memorial Hospital. Things were BARELY up and running for the city, but we had a home and a hospital.
Today we remember the lives lost on that horrible day, when the inevitable happened. We know it can happen, we know it has happened and could happen again. Every year it's the same risk, the same possibilities that this season we could see a Category 5 storm ruin our hometowns.
But we accept these risks. We acknowledge these risks as something one has to deal with to live down here. For many of us, although we complain, we know deep down we'd be hard pressed to actually move away if given the chance. And when we do, we keep coming back at least to visit! Louisiana is in our blood, our soul, our hearts. We simply can't just turn our backs on her.
Hurricane season is scary down here (and I want everyone to NOT SAY "at least it's been quiet this year" because those are some famous last words--so just zip it now!) and we pay more in house insurances for several months than some people in other parts pay per year! But we do it. We keep on plugging because that is what makes us unique. (Or hardheaded....whatever!)
We have the best music, the best food, the best art and the best people. Sure, we have our downfalls--crooked politicians, a city built underwater, and streets that even old timers can get lost on---but overall, the good outweighs the bad and once Louisiana has her grip on you, you will never get out!
So today we not only mourn the lives lost on that horrific day when we saw our cities go underwater and treasured memories lost; but we celebrate our future, a better rebuilding, a better growth, a better tomorrow.
I leave you with words to one of my favorite Marc Broussard songs, "Must be the Water" Seriously, download his entire "Must be the water" EP CD. Louisiana music at it's finest.
Long live Louisiana, and stay safe everyone!!
~~Amy
Seen a lot of people come through New Orleans
Get down in the Easy for a change of scene
Now the word is out all over this old town
The big town party's coming, we gonna throw one down
Must be the water
Mississippi River is alive
Must be New Orleans
More than just an alligator bite
Known around the world for the crawfish meat
Got everybody jammin' to the Creole beat
Coming far and wide just to see the show
Just rockin' on the Bayou, so let everybody know
Gotta be the water
Make you play all day, jam all night
Down in New Orleans
Swamp water make me lose my mind
No matter where you from, you ain't seen nothing yet
'Til you come around, party down in Lafayette
My brother serve you up with that etouffee
Just ask for any Broussard if you come this way
Gotta be the water
Make you play all day, jam all night
Must be New Orleans
Swamp water make you lose your mind
No matter if you fly here, drive here, come in on a train
Guarantee that when you leave you won't be the same
If the ladies don't get you, then the hospitality will
If anybody asks then you can say for real
Something in the water
Make you play all day, jam all night
Come on, jump on in, you know the water's fine
C'mon everybody sing
(it's a party jam session)
Thanks for the reminder, Amy, I was in the Adirondacks on vacation that week watching it all unfold on tv and was horrified. It made me count my blessings that the worst bad weather we have had here was an cripling ice storm and what is called a microburst, like a tornando. I didn't lose my home, only about a week of living without power...God Bless to all in New Orleans that lives/homes will recover to normalcy
ReplyDeleteone day.
Well said, Amy...and it is so true that Louisiana is in our souls!
ReplyDeleteI have a passion for this state - thanks for your words about that terrible day 4 years ago - Time goes by so fast when you're not looking.
ReplyDelete