The Return To The Lower Nine Part 2........Time to Move On

How do you describe the last 50 years of your family's history being destroyed? That is basically what I seen when I went to the Lower Ninth Ward on Thursday. I could sit here and describe what I saw but I would rather just say that the site of my family homes made it crystal clear to me that I have no choice but to consider 2006 a year to rebuild every area of my life. The only thing this storm didn't take from me was the fact that I am one proud ass black man from New Orleans. The son of Clifton and Bernadine and a member of the Harris family. That won't change so that is what I am taking with me. I want to return to New Orleans to work with the agency I have been. The only problem I have is that ever since I was 8 years old, I have been fascniated by history. If there is something that interests me, I always want to know it's past. It's hard for me to think my own past and historical things have been washed away. I will never be able to show my kids where I used to watch fights with my grandfather. I won't be able to show them the family new years mugs that we drunk homemade eggnog. I won't be able to pull out the photo albums of my dad in Vietnam or my grandfather in WWII. All of that stuff is gone. Now it's time to make my own history so they have something to show thier kids. I just hope something doesn't come along and wipes out the next 50 years. I'm not discussing what I lost anymore. It's time to look forward. Thursday was the equivlent of a funeral. Just like after any funeral, you still have some grieving time. I am not happy about everything but time will take care of that. Until then, I will just laugh, cry, reminisce and plan for the future.