My Dad's Visit

My father made a visit to the New Orleans area for a couple of days late last week. He drove over from Florida, bringing a car full of clothes, books and toys he gathered from their home in Florida and from a client of his. We fit in quite a bit over the two days he was here, making stops at three different schools, a half dozen or so homes, a couple of stores, the volunteer camp I used to live at, a recreation department office. We also squeezed in dinner and drinks in the city with my roommate, who is a native of the New Orleans area.

He was worn out by the close of Day 2. The heat and humidity, combined with constantly getting in and out of the car, meeting a bunch of people and hearing a number of pretty intense stories, made sure of that. But, as he put it, the effort was well worth it. We spoke about it the night before he left, as we recounted all we did while eating some dinner in his hotel. His entire perception of the situation here has changed, and I think there are a few things that especially stood out.









People very much want to talk, to tell and share their stories. If they meet someone new, someone from out of town, it just really helps to talk to that person and tell their story. It's therapy for them, and you really can see why. Two years is a long time to build frustration and any chance they have to get things off their chest, well, it's a good thing. My dad did lots of listening, but he was happy to and it was a big help in shaping his perspective on things here.

He also was able to see that there are lots of good people here, residents and volunteers. The greater New Orleans area is an amazing place to meet people these days. Years from now when I'm long gone from staying here, I know I'm going to look back and remember a lot of the people I met and was able to work with, to help.

Most importantly, my dad was able to see that the post-Katrina era is not just a case of the poor sitting around and waiting for handouts. Far from it. Yes, some of that exists, but presuming that that's what most people here are doing is not only inaccurate but a disservice to an entire region of people. The struggles that still exist in this region two years after Katrina rolled through involve all kinds of people from all walks of life. Young, old, hard-working, professional, public servants, kids, dads, moms, daughters, teachers, life long residents, the list is endless.

His two days here had a big impact on my father, and he's intent to take those messages home and share them with more people, which is another reason all that activity over two days was more than worth it.