new orleans
I'm going to New Orleans over spring break to help with the relief effort cleaning homes for disabled/elderly families that can't do it on their own. I never really thought about it until recently but I'm extremely nervous about going.
I used to go to New Orleans every summer when I was in middle/high school to stay with my Aunt that lived there. I fell in love with New Orleans at such a young age and really grew to appreciate it through highschool. I was very forunate to see the south and especially the people of New Orleans and their way of life. It is very, very poor there...but you wouldn't know that unless you went around asking people their salaries. I've never met such naturally happy go lucky people in my life. It was so carefree when I was down there all I wanted to do was move in with my Aunt and go to Tulane and work in the French Quarter.
I'm extremely nervous about seeing New Orleans in the state its in now. I remember the cobblestone roads and the beautiful street car and liveliness on every single corner. The southern hospitality and shot gun homes. The sticky heat. The cajun spices, everything so, so colorful and sunny and bright. I know this isn't the New Orleans I'm going to go back to and I'm so nervous that it's going to be so painful.
I want to go to the old coffee house my dad sang at and I read poetry at when I was 13 and full of angst - like always. It was the first coffee house I ever went to that was a real, quality coffee house. Chess in the corner, book shelves filled and filled with books. Old magazine ads splattered as wallpaper in some areas, huge huge huge comfy couches. I know it's probably not going to be there anymore. I don't know if I can handle it.
I know this sounds weird but if I went back to Paris and the Eiffel Tower was gone - as much as I love it and have pictures of it everywhere - I think I'd be less devastated then by what I think I'm going to see in New Orleans.
I guess I can't explain it very well. It's not the buildings or the landmarks that I want to be reacquianted with - it's more like the spirit of the city. I don't want any less than 100% New Orleans attitude and jive....the same spirit everyone who's ever been there understands. I want the kids I'm going with the feel this spirit - if they don't, I don't know how I am going to handle it. I don't know why this city means so much to me, I'm so scared to go back.
I used to go to New Orleans every summer when I was in middle/high school to stay with my Aunt that lived there. I fell in love with New Orleans at such a young age and really grew to appreciate it through highschool. I was very forunate to see the south and especially the people of New Orleans and their way of life. It is very, very poor there...but you wouldn't know that unless you went around asking people their salaries. I've never met such naturally happy go lucky people in my life. It was so carefree when I was down there all I wanted to do was move in with my Aunt and go to Tulane and work in the French Quarter.
I'm extremely nervous about seeing New Orleans in the state its in now. I remember the cobblestone roads and the beautiful street car and liveliness on every single corner. The southern hospitality and shot gun homes. The sticky heat. The cajun spices, everything so, so colorful and sunny and bright. I know this isn't the New Orleans I'm going to go back to and I'm so nervous that it's going to be so painful.
I want to go to the old coffee house my dad sang at and I read poetry at when I was 13 and full of angst - like always. It was the first coffee house I ever went to that was a real, quality coffee house. Chess in the corner, book shelves filled and filled with books. Old magazine ads splattered as wallpaper in some areas, huge huge huge comfy couches. I know it's probably not going to be there anymore. I don't know if I can handle it.
I know this sounds weird but if I went back to Paris and the Eiffel Tower was gone - as much as I love it and have pictures of it everywhere - I think I'd be less devastated then by what I think I'm going to see in New Orleans.
I guess I can't explain it very well. It's not the buildings or the landmarks that I want to be reacquianted with - it's more like the spirit of the city. I don't want any less than 100% New Orleans attitude and jive....the same spirit everyone who's ever been there understands. I want the kids I'm going with the feel this spirit - if they don't, I don't know how I am going to handle it. I don't know why this city means so much to me, I'm so scared to go back.