I've never experienced a hurricane (although I know people who have). This is what I'm told: There's a reason for those hurricane parties, folks. You don't want to face one sober.
I've never been to New Orleans (although my brother in law, before he retired, traveled there on business frequently). The locals, by the way, call it NOLA.
I remember Hurricane Katrina, but as a media bystander. Its 10th anniversary is today. I saw it from afar, on TV. To me, it's history. To others in this country, it changed their lives forever.
More than 1,400 people died. Sad to say, this is an everyday occurrence in some countries when disasters strike. For us fortunate enough to live in the United States, it is not.
This is some of what it looked like.
Levees broke, and people drowned in their houses. Seeing how much the disaster was mishandled, leading to so much death and suffering, still gives me chills.
In the aftermath of Katrina, the population of New Orleans, a major city, shrunk by nearly half. Even now, some have not returned. Of those, some have made new starts; some still miss their NOLA.
If NOLA had been deserted, would there have been a jazz funeral for it?
So, what do bloggers have to say? Cheryl, at a Pleasant House, had not yet moved to New Orleans, and her post will make you think. Her post is a bit humorous, but there is a lot of serious thought underneath it.
This is how the people of New Orleans are remembering it.
Some things you never miss until they are gone. New Orleans, ten years ago, came close to being gone.
Would we have missed her?
