I try to stay positive about the future of New Orleans, for the most part...mostly for friends and family, and because that's where my home and job is (for now, anyway). But the truth is - I don't know. I don't know if I can stay past, say, Mardi Gras. The environmental stuff worries me. My job situation worries me. The mold in our house and my horrible mold allergies worry me. It's all a wait and see game.
I hate not being in control of my job situation, and I feel like I'm not in control of much of anything right now. So I'm kind of "shopping" for other cities. In a half-assed (half-hearted) way. I like Austin. I like NYC. I like them both a lot. But I'm not sure I like them enough to live there. And my husband insists we live somewhere where we have friends, so that narrows down the list. I insist we live somewhere with a soul, with a unique personality. That narrows down the list. Both of us want to live close to our parents, who live here in south Louisiana, so that narrows down the list.
New Orleans: job in doubt, environmental hazards, friends gone, debris and infrastructure problems, below-average salaries, close to family, has a soul (this is in doubt if the city becomes the Vegas of the South - thanks Nagin), has the best food in the country.
Elsewhere: Not New Orleans.
Every time I go through this pro and con list in my head, I get nowhere. It was gently suggested to me that I write this stuff down (thank you Blogger) to get it out of my head and so I would shut the fuck up about it. Heh.
I wish, I really really really wish I wanted to move somewhere else. But I really liked New Orleans - the New Orleans before the storm. It's not going to be the same now. It might be similar, and I hope it is, but New Orleans won't ever be the same.
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dear Leveetation,
My name is Matthew and I am from New Orleans also. I was in Houston for six weeks and the people ther ewere nice but, there really is no place like New Orleans. Everybody in my hotel was from New Orleans and we would sit around the poll sahring information we had gotten from New Orleans. My grandparents, aunts and uncles stayed in the Carrollton area on Spruce St. during the hurricane and they had three feet of water in the street. After the hurricane had passed we were able to call my uncle who lives on Spruce St. and he told us how everything was and my Grandma told me that it was the scariest hurricane she has been through- she is 70- years old, that is a lot of hurricanes to see.
I live in the Irish Channel on Second St. My house had no damage( what a miracle!). I work at Whole Foods on Magazine St. and I was was not able to return to the Uptown store until February 1st. After I came back to the city I stopped by Whole Foods and saw the damage, Katrina gave us a sun roof. Whole Foods paid me through October and I was allowed to work at the Veterans store until I was able to return to the Uptown store.
I also have lost contact with some friends including my best friend whose gentilly house had 10 feet of water but I am confident that he is okay and that so is my friend from Arabi. I believe that I will see them again someday. My older brother also moved to Nashville because his job took him there. He comes down and visits sometimes and hope to give him a suprise visit soon.
I believe that New Orleans will return to her old self because you can take the people out of New Orleans, but, you can't take New Orleans out of the people. If you want to talk further you go to my blog or you can email me at: msbravender@yahoo.com.
Fellow Uptowner and New Orleanian,
Matthew
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