Tuesday, August 16, 2016

It's Okay Obama, We Got This......


After a quick overnight trip with friends to deliver some needed local donations of supplies to sheltered evacuees in Baton Rouge,  I couldn't but help have some thoughts about how we are in this country today.

I'm actually glad to see our fearless leader not interrupt his semi-retirement and taxpayer funded vacation to Martha's Vineyard by doing a silly Air Force One flyover of the devastated flood areas of South Louisiana, forcing his loving media to embarrassed him by writing  how uncaring and inept he is as a leader like they did George Bush after Katrina. And I'm glad to see his media, not buzzing about like mosquitoes sticking microphones in every poor black persons face that has lost their whole world. After-all, this time there is no political party to try and damage, and they really wouldn't want to harm the chances of Baton Rouge electing there first Black female mayor. 

And because I think Obama knows there are other more important events for the media to report these days, like two gay Olympic divers getting engaged on the beach in Rio, Adele performing at the Superbowl and being self-conscious about dancing, and the American people's absolutely need to know the stupid-thing-of-the day that Trump said as well as the sketchy-detail-of-the-day coming out about Ma Clinton, there is really no reason to show concern.

I cannot even imagine the anxiety of people looking at South Louisiana from a far and seeing the dark black vats of jambalaya, the deep silver pots of bubbling gumbo, and even three inches of red meat smoking on a wood burning grill as we feed our friends, and our crazy neighbor who thinks their cat is the reincarnation of a former president. The media would find we pack it in little styrofoam containers with a roll and walk it down the street. We'll force you to make a to-go plate even though you swear you have enough already. 

The media would certainly find the scruffy fisherman who went out of his way to pull people from the tops of houses, loaded them in, and then braved murky river water to deliver them to safety.

They would find the woman who's been at Celtic Studios all day, lifting cases of water, escorting elderly off of the helicopters that are landing nearby, carefully keeping track of makeshift spreadsheets so that word can get out about who is there...and who's not, and still finds time to hold a hand of a teenager who's lost everything to the water.

You'd be invited into homes that only have a sliver of floor for another air mattress to spare, and have to stand while you eat your dinner and someone will try to take your hand while grace is being said. Working together. Self-Sacrifice. Love. Forgiveness. Healing. Service. Prayer. Friendship. These aren't things that the mass media seemingly wants us as Americans to embrace.

Sometimes I watch the TV considering your perspective, and I can't help but giving in momentarily to the despair. Violence. Divisiveness. Vanity. Me-first. It's everywhere. It's everywhere because you put it there. 

You shouldn't come here because you'll find a people at the very end of their ropes extending their hands to their neighbor. You shouldn't come here because you'll find tireless spirits ready to save a stranger regardless of their race, ethnicity, religion, OR SEC affiliation. You'd find shelters full of despondent yet grateful people who are coming to grips with the fact that their material world is gone, but the things that matter remain and cannot be washed away by the ferocity of nature.

You'd find rows of 4x4 pickup trucks with boats being trailed behind them headed to the once busy city streets to conduct rescue not because of compensation and not because of order by the government, but because of the unspoken creed that holds Louisiana together as something more than just people living near each other. And America might just see we are not the poor, backward southern Red State you like to portray us to be to the country, with our hands out begging for federal handouts and unable to care for ourselves without. 

You see, I learned very early after settling in Louisiana before Katrina, that if you live for long here, you are not FROM Louisiana, your are OF Louisiana.