Preserving History and Growing Daily
Today was one of the most powerful days that we’ve had throughout this trip so far. We had so many great moments that really showed the power of allowing people to tell their stories. I went into the experience of giving an interview not really knowing what to expect. This was truly a gift to be able to share in the experience of growth and allow people whose lives were completely turned upside down by Hurricane Katrina to tell their stories.
I am glad that I was in a group with my peers to interview three people with three different stories. Each person really had a way of connecting me to a part of their lives that they probably don’t get to talk about a lot. I think that one of the most powerful feelings expressed through one of the interviews today was the point that one woman believed that God had allowed her to get through the storm. I think that her strong beliefs in Christianity and her courage really made me feel as if I could persevere if my community were to be hit by a hurricane. People like her give me the strength to be strong and keep a positive attitude towards such a devastating event. During the interviews, there were moments of silence that would build up and that aspect of the interview was really powerful and captivating. I do not think that I would be able to relive the days leading up to the hurricane, the day of the hurricane and the days immediately following the hurricane the way that our interviewees did today. In all three of the interviews we conducted today family seemed to be a major part of recovery. If it weren’t for family, the people of this community would probably have not held on as long as many of them have. Two women today said that they were survivors, and that made me think of the wonder of strength and capabilities to persevere.
Also, today I was able to assist with preserving older documents from the library’s record. Things like newspaper articles are really important because many of the articles went back to the 1930’s and went up to the 1990’s.
Jaymi, the interview process was very powerful for all of us. Several of the people you all interviewed told me that they didn’t know that talking about their experiences would bring forth so many emotions, after all it’s almost two years since Katrina. Thanks for being a part of our lives for a very short, but very intense time. Take care, be safe and remember us.
Prima Plauche’
- Friday, June 1, 2007 7:51 pm