[StBernard] houses not demolished

[Westley Annis]

"I've invested my insurance, my savings, my health, and my time in returning
to St. Bernard.  You have invested countless tid-bits of your opinions,
lambasting those that fair to share your opinion.  I rarely respond to your
endless tirades anymore, because I have better things to do with my
time..--John R/

Jer Responds:

John, are you being confrontational?

Good for you, John, I am pleased as a rooster in a henhouse over your
survival of the fittest statement.  Glad you have better things to do with
any precious time that you might have.

I'm delighted to see you made it to the front of the line with good old
Protestant work ethic (regardless of your religious beliefs <G>).

Let's hope you continue to bask in good luck and fortune. Not everyone has
and we pray nightly that everyone who's suffered can make it all the way
back.

However, it won't happen, because some of the unfortunate from St. Bernard
(whether rich or poor) may never be the same. It seems that some are poor
financially, but are in overabundance in faith, love and happiness. I had to
borrow $200,000 to get shelter I needed. In my 60's it wasn't easy, nor was
it available until after 3 times being rejected. Didn't everyone have to
live through some horrific, similar story for recovery?

On the other hand, others are rich, financially and are made miserable
because they may have lost the simplest of joy, pleasures and fortunes.

So, those who have paid dearly for insurances, and repair do so at their own
determination. Everyone wants everybody to succeed to recovery. 

What's your problem? Why the grand-degree of hate for others like myself who
lost the homeland and was swept away by God's wrath via a hurricane. I only
know that even though I invest all my time and sweat into trying--I simply
cannot make a hurricane so am humbled to my knees accepting God's will and
his force of nature. I cannot duplicate the storm. (nor will I try).

So, you're sick and tired of my "tirades"? Did you continue to read them or
is it simply that you cannot hit the delete key when you don't agree to
them? Since when has it been that you and someone else have been the only
"sufferers" of the storm? Has God given me and others less on our plate to
sample the "bitter grapes" of disaster? I don't believe so.

No TWO people alike faced this storm in exactly the same manner, John.
However your egregious statements say otherwise, that you were the only one
of a chosen few selected by God to go through horrendous times.

I don't think so.

I believe everyone within the shout of my e-mail has gone through their own
little personal piece of hell-on-earth. Why believe that your horrendous
story (and believe me, I do concur that what you went though was as much a
likeness to Hell as it's going to get on Earth's terms).

Is your bit of Hell John worse than mine? I was penniless going back and
forth Monthly for 2 yrs to New Orleans via auto I bought when I landed
somewhere in South Carolina? Was it the same on your end? 

I wondered walking around the yard looking skyward on a daily task in
"repentance" for 2 years praying that God send me a small gift of easement
of pain while crying. Did you cry as well, John? I do hope so, because it's
what maintained a semblance of sanity toward the past 4 years . What we had
to deal with this period of time, I wouldn't wish my worst enemy. It
literally ripped my heart from my chest to stand in long lines for a couple
of years followed by rejection, disappointment, frustration and grievances.

Didn't you feel the awesome shock'n awe as well, John? I'm sure you have.
Because as I have aforementioned recalled, anyone who went through Katrina
spent a great deal of grief getting their lives even 25% together. Those who
have chosen to maintain a presence in St. Bernard area had a couple of
things going on--firstly there must be work nearby. We found this an
impossible for some. There were few jobs for a couple of years, and
capacity, still has not reached that point. It is businesses that create
jobs and in a depleted economy, it's not easy. My son-in-law had to leave
his family and travel by car every other week for a year 850 miles one way
than travel back near North Carolina area because his job commanded him or
lose it after 20 years. Not very fun, huh? My daughter lost hers, as did my
other two sons, and a third lost a year of college and wound up having to
change 2 additional colleges with a loan.

Not very interested, you say?

Why is it John, that you were the only one who lost investments, savings
(what's that??), and time? Did it have to be in St. Bernard that losses were
experienced? Why the "ownership of St. Bernard". To those who couldn't stay
or had to make the most miserable choice in life, it is THEY who lost St.
Bernard, John. See, it wasn't you who lost it. You still have it. I (being
the worse of the losses for me) have lost my homeland. That, my friend is a
much greater grief to deal with than putting up new sheetrock and paint. I
can live with my demolitioned home now gone. I find it horrific on a daily
basis to cope with a place (as with others who were violently misplaced) I
do not recognize. Oh, lucky you. 

My deepest regret is spending a couple years gutting, fixing and maintaining
a dead house. Because if I were so lucky, I would still have my friends, my
church, my clubs, my personal, most cherished possessions that Katrina
robbed me thereof. 

Can you hear the noise, John? I can. It's the most degrading sound of life
that is now empty.

So, what's the problem? Are you drawing a line in the sand for me to cross
over? Saber-rattling? Spitting on my shoes, or bragging that you've
encountered a helluva lot more grief than your neighbor in parish or
displaced? I don't see the point of who has more grief, you or I? 

The way I see it, we carry on our shoulders more than what Katrina placed on
it. Now we'll have to balance it there whether we wish it or not. Good luck,
my friend.

--jer--