Hurricane Gustav & Memory Lane
WARNING: This is a no-edit zone...
We dodged the bullet--or the eye of Gustav--but even in Florida, we’ve been under tornado warnings most of the morning today. They’ve been spinning off an outer feeder band, coming up from Destin, Fort Walton Beach, and Santa Rosa.
My mom’s family, in harm’s way in Gulfport, Pass Christian and Waveland as well as New Orleans are all evacuated and safe, last I heard, which has been long hours ago.
I’ve failed to reach extended family in Marrero on the New Orleans westbank, but so long as the Harvey Canal tunnel holds, they should be okay. My hope is that they too evacuated and just haven’t yet gotten through. As you can imagine, phone lines are really busy at times like this.
Since this storm had New Orleans in its cross-hairs for days, I did something I’ve not allowed myself to do since my mother’s death. I spent hours on google maps last night, looking at street views of my old home town. The house we lived in when I was one, my first school, the home and neighborhood I grew up in, and the first house I bought. I followed the path of the neighborhood, recalled a million little things about the people who had lived there and events from early life.
It wasn’t a pleasant trip down memory lane. I wish it could have been. But with projections I expected it would all be under water today. Instead it was moments of joy and of sorrow for all that is and isn’t anymore. I expect that is a normal rite of passage in any life.
As I sat staring at the house I grew up in, I remembered a lot of pleasant things. The tree I climbed to “escape it all” is now gone. Hurricane Katrina left its mark, but the house still hands--and oddly enough it’s been painted the exact same color as my current home and it too is trimmed in white.
It’s odd how much that pleased me. It was a thread of continuity at a time when that felt welcome, comforting.
The worst of the storm is still to come and I pray for all those affected. It’s hard to look for the good in hurricanes, but I guess even bittersweet, I do have to say there is good in my trip down memory lane...
Blessings,
Vicki
We dodged the bullet--or the eye of Gustav--but even in Florida, we’ve been under tornado warnings most of the morning today. They’ve been spinning off an outer feeder band, coming up from Destin, Fort Walton Beach, and Santa Rosa.
My mom’s family, in harm’s way in Gulfport, Pass Christian and Waveland as well as New Orleans are all evacuated and safe, last I heard, which has been long hours ago.
I’ve failed to reach extended family in Marrero on the New Orleans westbank, but so long as the Harvey Canal tunnel holds, they should be okay. My hope is that they too evacuated and just haven’t yet gotten through. As you can imagine, phone lines are really busy at times like this.
Since this storm had New Orleans in its cross-hairs for days, I did something I’ve not allowed myself to do since my mother’s death. I spent hours on google maps last night, looking at street views of my old home town. The house we lived in when I was one, my first school, the home and neighborhood I grew up in, and the first house I bought. I followed the path of the neighborhood, recalled a million little things about the people who had lived there and events from early life.
It wasn’t a pleasant trip down memory lane. I wish it could have been. But with projections I expected it would all be under water today. Instead it was moments of joy and of sorrow for all that is and isn’t anymore. I expect that is a normal rite of passage in any life.
As I sat staring at the house I grew up in, I remembered a lot of pleasant things. The tree I climbed to “escape it all” is now gone. Hurricane Katrina left its mark, but the house still hands--and oddly enough it’s been painted the exact same color as my current home and it too is trimmed in white.
It’s odd how much that pleased me. It was a thread of continuity at a time when that felt welcome, comforting.
The worst of the storm is still to come and I pray for all those affected. It’s hard to look for the good in hurricanes, but I guess even bittersweet, I do have to say there is good in my trip down memory lane...
Blessings,
Vicki