A few years ago, I had the pleasure of exploring the city of New Orleans. I was also fortunate to have an excellent guide who had previously lived there & knew the territory. Some of the history behind the city itself is truly amazing. I attended a wedding aboard a riverboat and cruised alongside the city & the French Quarter. Everything about the city.... the history, the people, the atmosphere, the dark pubs & voodoo shops...absolutely fascinating. I even deeply considered packing up the party & moving there shortly after my return. The humidity & nutria overpopulation were among a few of the factors that convinced me to stay put.
I caught some of the media coverage this afternoon via MSNBC & CNN and was completely astounded. This once phenomenal city now sits in ruins gasping for survival. It's hard to fathom that the coverage broadcast by the media is even within the boundaries of this country.
But it is...
Martial law is in order. The residents of NOLA have been stranded on the island of what remains of the city above flood level. The fact that people are suffering....waiting to die on the streets. This is above & beyond truth that there are still God knows how bodies undiscovered & decaying throughout the entire Louisiana/Mississippi coast. The condition of New Orleans itself is an absolute outrage. The inhumanity is completely surreal.
To witness this city lay in ruins is saddening to me. NOLA was always one of the cities I hoped to explore in my lifetime, and I had the fortunate opportunity given to me by a friend that still resides there. I will always have the memories of how breathtaking the city was as well as how beautiful the people were. A city that thrived on artists, musicians, entertainers, and peddlers of various wares.
to the alcoholic clown balloon artist at the punk pub on crack...
to the punk pub that served perfect black & tans at 9am
to the black male dance group in lime green jump suits (i have their act on tape...amazing)
to the other Allison who had great stories about babysitting Sid Vicious & following the Sex Pistols years prior
to riverboat weddings
to the bar who's balcony overlooking a sidestreet in the Quarter(justice was burned)
to the many artists in the quarter
to the record store dealer who sold an out of print Dead Kennedys album to me at a reasonable price
to the same record store dealer & his friend who shared party favors with us in the rain while watching the infamous Krewe du Vieux parade (that's the dirty pervert parade for you newbies)
to Mike's mom, husband, brother, family, & friends
and especially to Mike....I hope you're ok.
May immediate peace be restored so that this once extraordinary city can hopefully rebuild & start anew. It is imperative that they stop the bleeding for the recovery can begin. That in itself will take much time & patience which is virtually inexistent as it is. But I have hopes that NOLA will breathe life once again.
This puts a bit of a damper on the Illinois football home opener this weekend. However, football seems trivial compared to the current events.
Until next time...
