Katrina Flooding

It’s been over seven months since Hurricane Katrina. My parish is adjacent to Orleans Parish, which obviously sustained a lot of damage, but still less than St. Bernard Parish, which is more to the right, closer to the Gulf and Biloxi. In St. Bernard, every single building flooded. Every. Single. Building. Think about that. It’s amazing.

My parish had a lot of flooding, but that is primarily because our parish president shut the pumps down and sent the pump operators far away. So wherever you go, there are FEMA trailers and construction, but my parish, Jefferson Parish, made out pretty well compared to our neighbors to the east. But I’m so very tired of it all. Seven months, and our daily lives, even in our relatively unscathed parish, are still affected.

I’m not feeling well and by the time I finished my last meeting today I didn’t want to cook, so I thought I’d get fast food for the DOTH and I for dinner. (The MOTH was repairing something at my mother’s house. He’s a saint, I tell ya!) 5:20 in the evening. Burger King was open, but the drive through was closed and the line in the lobby extended to the parking lot. McDonalds was closed. I finally found a Wendy’s that was open and thus was saved from having to cook. God is merciful. Especially to the Daughter Of The House. I don’t cook well when I’m sick.

Just one example of the things I used to take for granted. The sidewalks in what used to be a 24 hour city now get rolled up pretty early. If you want something from the grocery or drugstore, plan on getting it before dinner. If you want to watch a video, get Netflix because the Blockbuster that’s open is a good drive away. But even if you get Netflix don’t expect too much because the mail service is irregular. (Postal service is officially “back” but I’m telling you - five days a week is a good week. Three or four, usually, is what we get.) I’d like to be able to pick up the phone and schedule something with some good friends, but they now live in other states. I’d like to be able to go to church on Sunday, instead of on Saturday in someone else’s church building. I’d like to not have 10 to 20,000 illegal immigrants in my city, clogging up the ER so that my husband could not get treatment a few weeks ago. (They’re driving down wages, using public services, straining the already overburdened hospital system - several hospitals are still closed since Katrina, and next year when they enroll their children in our public schools, they’re going to want ESL teachers and resources in Spanish that we can’t afford to pay for. Thanks a whole heap, President Bush and Congress.)

Oh, I know I’m whining. I know people - many people - who still can’t live in their homes. My mother still has two co-workers staying with her. I know people whose homes are just gone. I know I’m lucky. But still. I want my old life back.

JARS OF CLAY LYRICS

“Flood”

Rain, rain on my face
It hasn’t stopped raining for days
My world is a flood
Slowly I become one with the mud

[Chorus:]

But if I can’t swim after forty days
and my mind is crushed by the thrashing waves
Lift me up so high that I cannot fall
Lift me up
Lift me up - when I’m falling
Lift me up - I’m weak and I’m dying
Lift me up - I need you to hold me
Lift me up - Keep me from drowning again

Downpour on my soul
Splashing in the ocean, I’m losing control
Dark sky all around
I can’t feel my feet touching the ground

[Chorus]

Calm the storms that drench my eyes
Dry the streams still flowing
Cast down all the waves of sin
And guilt that overthrow me

[Chorus]

Lift me up - when I’m falling
Lift me up - I’m weak and I’m dying
Lift me up - I need you to hold me
Lift me up - Keep me from drowning again