Desolation and destruction
Until today I haven't needed my map. For starters, there are still very few street signs and I know St. Bernard parish better than Kent County. But I went North East of the 9th ward today, and what I saw nearly made me vomit. I came across about 30 apartment complexes, many of them low-income, all of them near each other. Nobody lives there.
What does that mean? It means no food sources for the cats. They can catch and eat rats but that's about it. I saw a black & white cat who I set a trap for tonight, and a tortie who ran off into the weeds. How many more are there? I have a strong feeling they were beloved pets once upon a time, and their owners have no doubt long since given up on them. But I know they are there and that they need me. When these buildings come tumbling down there will be no place for them to run. They are interested in me but also terrified. After the hell they have lived I understand it completely. But I am going to catch them and try to tame them and find them a home.
DE LA PLACE
The streets around de la place are also deserted apartment complexes. They have yellow signs with red X's through them. CONDEMNED!! Most of the complex is deserted and silent--the way I left it 13 months ago. After about an hour of walking around a 7-man crew shows up. They see me breaking all the windows with my crowbar. One of them yells at me that I am damaging private property. I turn around and give him The Look. After all, his crew is here to prepare for demolition. He realizes how ridiculous he is being and waves me on. The animals need exit points for when the demolition begins. We need to give those left behind a way out. After 6 buildings my shoulders are aching and I know I'll suffer for this tomorrow.
Another one of them hollers at me as I climb to the 2nd story of the building. "Hey Yankee, get the hell out of there NOW", he yells. I ignore him and keep going. The 2nd floor windows need to go too.
During much of my life I have found myself wishing I was somewhere else or doing something different. When I'm at work I want to be home or running errands. When I'm home I want to be on vacation or on the beach. Here in the New Orleans area I am finally doing exactly what I want to do, where I want to do it. It is a feeling of peace and contentment that I'm not sure I've ever had before. It's okay that I drive about 300 miles per day, that I wear the same clothes most of the time, that I can't remember when I last shaved, or that I average 4 hrs of sleep per night. This is the right thing to do. I am HAPPY!!
What does that mean? It means no food sources for the cats. They can catch and eat rats but that's about it. I saw a black & white cat who I set a trap for tonight, and a tortie who ran off into the weeds. How many more are there? I have a strong feeling they were beloved pets once upon a time, and their owners have no doubt long since given up on them. But I know they are there and that they need me. When these buildings come tumbling down there will be no place for them to run. They are interested in me but also terrified. After the hell they have lived I understand it completely. But I am going to catch them and try to tame them and find them a home.
DE LA PLACE
The streets around de la place are also deserted apartment complexes. They have yellow signs with red X's through them. CONDEMNED!! Most of the complex is deserted and silent--the way I left it 13 months ago. After about an hour of walking around a 7-man crew shows up. They see me breaking all the windows with my crowbar. One of them yells at me that I am damaging private property. I turn around and give him The Look. After all, his crew is here to prepare for demolition. He realizes how ridiculous he is being and waves me on. The animals need exit points for when the demolition begins. We need to give those left behind a way out. After 6 buildings my shoulders are aching and I know I'll suffer for this tomorrow.
Another one of them hollers at me as I climb to the 2nd story of the building. "Hey Yankee, get the hell out of there NOW", he yells. I ignore him and keep going. The 2nd floor windows need to go too.
During much of my life I have found myself wishing I was somewhere else or doing something different. When I'm at work I want to be home or running errands. When I'm home I want to be on vacation or on the beach. Here in the New Orleans area I am finally doing exactly what I want to do, where I want to do it. It is a feeling of peace and contentment that I'm not sure I've ever had before. It's okay that I drive about 300 miles per day, that I wear the same clothes most of the time, that I can't remember when I last shaved, or that I average 4 hrs of sleep per night. This is the right thing to do. I am HAPPY!!
posted by Amy at
5:53 PM
