Your thoughts and prayers for my David in Louisiana.
Monday, September 5th, 2005David is in Covington, 20 miles north of Louisiana. His best friend Robert’s family was running out of essentials and help did not seem to be on its way. So the two of them left Friday night to travel all the way there, stopping in Texas to ger David’s family’s truck. They literally had to make that trek because it doesn’t look like any governmental body is going to get there soon.
I was no longer able to reach his cell phone as he neared Baton Rouge today. He did manage to text and say he made it to Robert’s family’s house okay. I won’t stop worrying until he gets his ass out of there alive and hopefully he’ll convince Robert’s family to leave too because, to be honest, I don’t know WHEN the Red Cross, FEMA, national guard will EVER get there. They sure as hell aren’t there now and people are really in need, just like many other towns left to fend for themselves without governmental help and without gas, electricity, water and so on. I’m pretty discouraged and disappointed. There’s probably people still dying considering all the outlying towns that have been ignored. The news articles speak about the “aftermath”, but there are still people abandoned out there! News Article.
Anyway, I’m really proud of him for traveling all the way there from California to help and if anyone can send good energy his way, I’d be greatly appreciative. I won’t be myself until he’s back. I cried at work today once I couldn’t get through the first time on the phone. I am pretty sure he’ll be okay, but considering the things that have happened to people trying to help… (car jackings, shots fired at rescue helicopters and so on). Note that they were driving with an open truck bed full of supplies into a town that has been forsaken… As David put it in his text, “These people need a lot of help out here. It’s bad where I am and we’re in the best part.”
Speaking of which, my co-worker Halimat told me about her friends who are down South right now gathering their family in different states (the mother was put on the wrong bus) to take them back here. The black woman of the couple tried to get a room in a hotel, but when she mentioned she was from New Orleans, she was turned away (although she meant she was originally from N.O. and now lives in California). The desk agent told her the N.O. guests were trashing the rooms and couldn’t afford to pay to stay anymore. Then the white partner came in and magically was given a room…
There have been many discouraging stories in the nightmarish coverage I’ve read about (from suicides to rapes) in New Orleans. Originally I had lost all faith in humanity, but I’ve been reminded of the light side.
First of all, there’s David, who drove all the way to Louisiana to help pieces of one family (Robert can’t drive). Plus, I just started a team to walk in Strides Against Breast Cancer and raised $50 in one day! It doesn’t take place until October 23rd and I hope to get 12 team members and cumulatively raise $1500. The encouragement I’ve met with thus far has renewed my faith in my fellow humans.
Nonetheless, I won’t feel whole until David’s returned. I had meant to post last week about the mentoring I did for the homeless girls’ film camp (very rewarding), but I think I’ll have to recap that another day. I also had a birthday. I’ll talk about that later when I’m in a more festive frame of mind. Until later…
Michizzle
Click to donate to my team fighting breast cancer
Click here to donate to the Red Cross