Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Today ought to be special, I suppose. Memorials and celebrations and moments of silence are scheduled around the city. People from the left, right, and dead center will speak from countless podiums about successes, failures, and, on occasion, conspiracies. But honestly, at the end of the day, it'll be just so much hogwash: decaying wreaths, empty bottles of booze, and speeches that didn't convince anyone of anything they didn't already believe.

I might feel different if August 29, 2005 meant something to me, but fact is, I can't remember much of it. I'm pretty sure I woke up before anyone else and made a pot of coffee, let the dogs out, and flicked on CNN. I know I caught glimpses of a reporter stationed in the CBD, giving millions of people false information about New Orleans' history and geography. I also saw tantalizing but ultimately crappy videophone images of the Superdome. And after a couple of hours of that, I remember Jonno and I went shopping.

Seriously, people: shopping.

So while we were strolling through Lafayette's mostly deserted mall, distracting ourselves with clothes and electronics and the occasional fellow refugee, thousands upon thousands of others were rushing to their attics, preferring darkness and stifling heat to the even darker, dirtier rising floodwater. I don't like to think of myself as someone who seeks refuge in denial or avoids life's problems; I prefer to believe that I'm just the sort of guy who focuses on the task at hand and doesn't obsess about things he can't change. But on that day, August 29, I had the luxury of burying my head in solid ground, and I took full advantage of it.

archives

May 2000   June 2000   July 2000   August 2000   September 2000   October 2000   November 2000   December 2000   January 2001   February 2001   March 2001   April 2001   May 2001   June 2001   July 2001   August 2001   September 2001   October 2001   November 2001   December 2001   January 2002   February 2002   March 2002   April 2002   May 2002   June 2002   July 2002   August 2002   September 2002   October 2002   November 2002   December 2002   January 2003   February 2003   March 2003   April 2003   May 2003   June 2003   July 2003   August 2003   September 2003   October 2003   November 2003   December 2003   January 2004   February 2004   March 2004   April 2004   May 2004   June 2004   July 2004   August 2004   September 2004   October 2004   November 2004   December 2004   January 2005   February 2005   March 2005   April 2005   May 2005   June 2005   July 2005   August 2005   September 2005   October 2005   November 2005   December 2005   January 2006   February 2006   March 2006   April 2006   May 2006   June 2006   July 2006   August 2006   September 2006   October 2006   November 2006   December 2006   January 2007   February 2007   March 2007   April 2007   May 2007   June 2007   July 2007   August 2007   September 2007   October 2007   November 2007   December 2007   January 2008   February 2008   March 2008   April 2008   May 2008   June 2008   July 2008   August 2008   September 2008   October 2008   November 2008   December 2008   January 2009   February 2009   March 2009   April 2009   May 2009   June 2009   July 2009   August 2009   September 2009   October 2009   November 2009   December 2009   January 2010   February 2010   March 2010