Past and the Present

I need to clear up a misunderstanding. For the last two years I have written about my anger and grief over things that happen during Hurricane Katrina. Some people have read this and used it to highlight what they may have been feeling. Other people have read it and thought that maybe I was having an issue letting things go and moving forward. I will admit that it is difficult to get past something that changed your life so much. I have had a long struggle with that. Two weeks ago during a moment of clarity, I decided that I had dwelled on that long enough. It was time to let go of August 29, 2005. I was no longer going to give it power over things that are happening to me right now. Honestly, I am into so many different things and have opinions about so many topics that I can write this blog everyday and not discuss Katrina at all. That was my intention. I was just about ready to remove my name from the NOLA blogging rolls. Then I picked up the newspaper.
FEMA decided to tell people that their trailers were toxic two years after they issued them. Then, the folks at Peopleshurricane.org started issuing flyers about the Red Cross hiding money and damn near started a riot. Then, the Road Home program started rushing people to apply for assistance after saying it was out of money. Then, the Corps of Engineers said they were not rebuilding the levees for Category 5. Then, the murder rate is climbing and the DA and police department can’t get their act together. Then, there is a teacher and classroom shortage. Then, every week another house on my block is demolished. Then, we have all this stuff to fix with no money to fix it and no time table on when it will be fixed. Then all of our political leaders are crooked or like freaks. That’s when I realized that I am not living in the past. I am living in the present. Now, if you are not from New Orleans and don’t care or if you are from here and have moved to another city and are trying to pretend like this stuff never happened then that’s fine. Just hit the X at the top of the page when you realize I am talking about some local shit. I was not born with the ability to ignore the obvious around me. Now lets move on to other things.