New Orleans has been overrun with devastation, but destruction is not what I saw. Yes, there were signs that a large hurricane came through, but what I saw was re-growth. The city spirit did not die on August of 2005; nor did anyone allow that spirit to stay dormant for long. The stories natives told we unimaginable, but the affect I walked away with lied within the narrator. I did not define the city by how many houses that were missing or destroyed. The empty lots did not tell the story for me. The spray painted marks did not show me what kind of character the city prides itself on. It was the people that welcomed us into their homes, into their lives, and into their city that proved to me that New Orleans was alive and well.
For me to try to relay the stories I was told would never do them justice; I lack the passion and experience that each individual possessed. But the individuals were beautiful; they are the only way to define my experience. They volunteered their hearts and gave us an incite into their vulnerable experiences. The quote that was heard most often was, “…take it one day at a time”; they did not complain nor did they show any frustration. Some individuals made a larger stamp in our memories then others, but each of them gave us a piece of New Orleans.
I spent a week in New Orleans; my impact on that city was minuscule, almost impossible to measurable. At the most, there are a few receipt stubs with my name on them as proof of my existence there. When we put several peoples small impacts together, you begin to affect a city. Us, as a whole, band together and make a positive influence on the city. The volunteers, the city residence, and the tourist all have a role to play to recreating New Orleans. My wish and hopes to this vibrant city are to never let the spirit die; this is what will allow the city to regain its standing to what it once was and, it may allow it to grow stronger then it has ever been.
