I've always liked hurricanes. For some reason they've always fascinated me. I love the change in the skies, the way the trees move differently, the quietness in the air. It's just different...I guess I've always loved the "calm before the storm". Granted I never liked packing up everything and boarding up the house, nor did I like the feeling of "what if". You know that feeling of what if I have no house to go home to, our house gets flooded, all of our stuff gets ruined? We never left for hurricanes when we were little, but we did leave for a few "bad ones" as I got older, and it was so scary. As you leave home you always pray it will be just like it is when & if you go back.
Katrina was just another hurricane that came and went. Her damage was great and mighty - she did her thing & left. Flooding from poor levees ruined what was left. I was here, watching it on TV around the clock with Mom. Daddy was there... hopefully living through the horror of hurricane aftermath as best he could. We wanted so badly to be there - to do our part to get life back together again. Granted "we" were very lucky with Katrina. "We" lived on the Westbank. We got no flooding - our house was unharmed, as always. Minus lots of broken trees, everything that made Sellers Village my home, was still there. My childhood neighborhood was basically untouched. One exception - when you have ginormous Oak trees on your property, don't build your house by them. The Zeringue's found that out the hard way when one smashed down their home.
Fast forward three years... I can't get off the Internet or turn the TV off. My parents left "home" the April following Katrina. They were done with all the bullshit that we all go through every hurricane season. They were tired of always worrying when would the next one come and what if this was going to be "the big one". I was devastated by their move. Words will never fully describe how that one decision crushed part of my soul. Where would I call home if home was no longer in Ama? I never thought in my 31 years I'd ever say this but, I'm glad home is not Ama anymore. Gustav looks to ruin what was left of my precious "home" - that quiet little town with no traffic lights, one road in/out - "River Road", two churches, a tiny little post office, and about 20 streets right off the bank of the Mighty Mississippi. He looks to wash away what makes me miss that place terribly. Bastard... I worry about my friends that are still in St. Charles Parish. I worry about my family that is in the heartland of Cajun Country. I worry about everyone I know that's stuck in some crappy hotel or crammed into a friend's house up North. I worry that they will not have much to return home to this time and that breaks my heart.
There's nothing to do to prevent things like this from happening. God unleashes his might every summer and he looks to have a go with South Louisiana this time. I pray he goes easy on them - there are some really fine people down there! I also pray that he keeps everyone safe and that he leaves just enough of Louisiana there for me to show my children. They need to see where I'm from when we are there in a few weeks. I NEED to see it. Please let Ama be there... I can't imagine this world without that little place of heaven.
So, with a heavy heart I head to bed - with one last check online and Channel 66.
Is it terrible for me to hope Gustav takes a sharp turn to the West once in the Gulf and slams Mexico's ass???
3 comments:
My love, that was at once one of the most touching and one of the funniest things I've ever read. If any people in this country can kick Gustav's ass, it's the good folks you grew up with and around.
Holly all I can say is WELL WRITTEN. You put so much feeling in this one blog very proud of you. I know you were upset about your dad and I moving away from your hometown and home. I will always miss Ama and the area also and feel about the people as you do. I still think about Ama and what we were able to do all around that area and really do miss that because I do not have that here. I do have your sister and her children though here in Arkansas. Maybe on day you and your family will be up here too and then we will all be together again and I really look forward to that day.
Love Mom
I remember sitting in your living room with you and your mom watching the news.
My next door neighbor is from New Orleans and she evacuated here right before Katrina. Her family is almost finished rebuilding their house and luckily is in Vermont for the summer. They were scheduled to go back on Monday but have decided to stay a little bit longer. She has been glued to the TV and occasionally says I can't stop watching the news.
It has to be so hard to have these feelings again. I don't know about it hitting Mexico but I wouldn't mind Gustav tearing down a certain house on Baroness Court, if you know what I mean.
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