Aug
28
K + 2 Anniversary
ByThere’s no getting away from the big day tomorrow, though I intend to try like hell.
For many here in New Orleans, tomorrow will be a day where people pay attention, for at least a few minutes, to what they’re going through. I have decided to opt out of this one. Charlie and I are involved in so many civic projects and are plugged into the whole recovery thing every single day; I can leave this one to others and not feel like I’m being neglectful.
But I did want to pay my respects in my own way, in my own time. So today I drove out to Metairie LakeLawn Cemetary to see their memorial- one white flag for each of the dead. It was a cloudy, threatening day, perfect for the ominious mood around here.
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1 Comments
August 29th, 2007 at 5:20 pm
Last year I took part in a memorial service sponsored by levees.org at the newly rebuilt wall of the 17th Street canal. The speeches tapped into our anger and sorrow in turn. At the conclusion, each of us climbed a wooden platform by the wall to drop flowers into the water–1,300-odd long-stemmed carnations, one for each of the dead. Standing on the platform, you could stare numbly through tear-filled eyes at the hundreds of flowers bobbing in the still water, and then turn to gaze out across the vast reaches of ruined homes and empty streets.
That was the moment when I truly understood the extent of our devastation, and I still can’t think back to it without tearing up again. So I’m skipping the ceremonies because I have all the ceremony I need, one that always be with me.