I heard a story about riding the St Charles Streetcar on the radio this morning- one more step back from the abyss New Orleans faced when Katrina wreaked havoc there. The story stopped me in my tracks- just to hear that clacking noise and the whir of the motor was a great thing, but with it comes the stark reality that New Orleans is STILL suffering. Life went upside down for so many people - all over the gulf coast- and I feel compelled to remember they still need help.
A friend sent me this Complicated Life video (above) which I find mesmerizing. Maybe you have to have been there to get it, but to me it was another of a series of unexpected gifts from New Orleans. From the day I first fell for this city over twenty years ago up through that heartbreaking yet restorative Mardi Gras of 2006 (six months to the day after the storm) this town never fails to surprise me- whether it's a stranger kissing your cheek early Mardi Gras morning or the beauty of those ancient live oaks lining the streets. As our country gets swallowed up by chain store after chain store and mass attacks of vapid development, we need places with the character and the cultural strength that is New Orleans more than ever. I think if Louis Armstrong were alive today he wouldn't just be singing do you know what it means to miss New Orleans, but please don't forget New Orleans. Check out The New Orleans Musician's Relief Fund website or NOMRFmyspace page for more images and music and a way to help.
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