Yesterday, our New Orleans experience came to a close. When I arrived back on campus, I had time to reflect on all that I had seen and experienced over the past week, and I realized that there is a lot that needs to be shared. The people I had the chance to meet over these seven days all had incredible stories, both uplifting and heart-wrenching. Yet, every single person was glad to share their story, and wanted to get the word out about their beloved New Orleans. The amount of pride that New Orleaneans have for their city is incredible – and yet, the amount of anger they have towards their government is also staggering. So much progress has been made towards rebuilding “Nawlins” and yet, certain areas still need an immense amount of recovery. It appears that much of the recovery progress is based on socio-economic standing, and for that reason, areas such as St. Bernard (which was 100% destroyed by Katrina) are still very much in the beginning stages of recovery. When driving through St. Bernard and the lower ninth ward, most of the houses are abandoned and almost all of them are marked with a spray-painted X indicating how many dead were found after the flood waters had gone down. The image of the number 8 spray-painted in the bottom section of the X on a completely devastated house will remain with me for the rest of my life.
However, this post was not supposed to be a depressing recount of the tragedy that occurred, but rather a commentary on the wonderful people I met, and what they wanted me to bring back to the Wake Forest community. I think the main message that residents such as Sandy (a woman whose house we helped to rebuild) wanted us to bring back with us is that New Orleans and its people are alive and kickin’. Their houses may have been destroyed but their spirits are still there, and they have the drive to get this city back to pre-Katrina standards. Even though Sandy’s house was completely destroyed by 10 feet of water, she would recount with a huge smile her anecdote that when she walked into her house after the water was drained, she encountered a 12 foot alligator. Apparently, it took 7 full-grown men to move that alligator from her house, to a van. It is stories like these that reflect the positive attitude and, quite frankly, the awesome culture that is alive and well in New Orleans. And really, you will not understand the uniqueness of this city until you visit. So please, VISIT, because tourism is one of New Orlean’s main areas of revenue and the more tourists they get, the more money that can be allocated to rebuilding people’s houses, such as Sandy’s.
And so, it is through volunteers and donations and tourism that these areas, which house some incredible people that deserve to be able to start their lives over, can be rebuilt. The praise and thanks that we received from the residents of New Orleans was overwhelming. Every person I met was so thankful for the time we were spending, and one woman even told us that we were “her inspiration.” Yet, to me, it is the people of this incredible city that are my inspiration. The amount of hope and pride that these residents possess after such a tragedy is inspiring, and I only hope that I can take with me their spirit and appreciation for what they have and apply it in my life. New Orleans and its people have a special place in my heart.