Katrina final

February 28

I’ve cried a few times on this trip. It happens more these days. I’m not sure if it is due to old age or changing perspective. With more experience comes greater awareness and appreciation. Perhaps they are tears of appreciation. This week it has been a mix. There is appreciation and sadness.

I probably first cried at Gilbert’s grave . Then it was the Zoar Church, then the service at South Zumbro. Gettysburg for sure. Antietam, yes. Receiving pictures of Janie growing and developing, count on it. Walking the halls of Ellis Island, a bit. I don’t think I cried in Florida. In Mississippi, tears flow.

It is very hard to put the last few days into words. In some areas it is often hard to think of this place as America. Areas lack the infrastructure of many third world countries. The Casino Resorts loom nearby, yet just a few miles away, people live in structures resembling what Barb and I encountered in Thailand in the 70’s.

It is hard to imagine the challenges that the locals encounter. Linda, a lady who is a third generation land owner, has been very patient. Oh, it has taken its toll in depression and anger (I am not sure I could have done better). But her resilience is there. It, as humble as it be, is her home and somehow we walked into her life on Monday morning.

We’ve worked hard. The conditions have been tough. Barb’s ant bitten legs are testimony. But as the locals drive by, they wave and smile. Linda’s family has dropped by to express appreciation. They have little, but ask less.

Linda is only one of thousands that are in a state of recovery. As we drive down her street, many of the houses which had 5 feet of water in them have been repaired. Most are rebuilt by the owner or neighborhood communities. Some, like Linda’s, fall under the “special needs list” and mission people appear.

Tears. Some are due to guilt. I watched FOX, CNN and local new channels those Katrina days. Many asked, “Dah, Why didn’t they leave? Mississippi and Louisiana have the highest poverty rate. Are these people clueless? Are they too stupid to leave? Why should we be beholden to ignorant people?”

But, what would I have done if I had lived here? I have talked to many locals who felt that it is just another hurricane. “We thought we would ride Katrina out like we did the last one.” It is clear that stupidity and/or laziness is not an issue.

Well, it was not just another hurricane. They eye of Katrina was equal to the entire size of Camille. “Storm surge” was in the lexicon of the few. And it hit at high tide. Of the millions that reside on or near the Mississippi delta, for centuries, they had ridden out the occasional storm. It was not a wise decision on this one. Katrina, the breadth, largest on record, rendered the area victim that requires the largest domestic rebuilding program since the Civil War.

There are restaurants, gas stations, and businesses that are flourishing in this area. Interstate 10 allows commercial traffic to flow unrestricted. And, as I have mentioned before, the casinos, the flagships of the commercial enterprise of Mississippi, have been restored to greater glory than their pre-Katrina status. Many homes have been rebuilt.

And as I walk through Camp Victor, there are the youth, the middle age and the retired that respond and try to assist the locals who have endured so much. The determination overrides the fatigue. And our coworkers, the Peachtree City delegation, who work so diligently and expertly, in very trying conditions. Not one complaint was heard. Humor far outweighed the fatigue. They’ve been here before and they’ll probably come back again. Appreciation.

And, in my efforts this week, I have not given enough. Therefore tears of sadness flow…like the mighty Mississippi.

But the smile on Linda's grandson Tyler's face helps. His bike now works.