Week Two, Day Six

Friday ...
JJ will be leaving today (the rest of us have flights out tomorrow) so it's appropriate that we stopped by the Katrina Memorial this morning on the way to Volunteer Village. It is a high granite structure and it's probably a little more "upbeat" in feel than what you'd expect it to be. If all the rebuilding weren't happening, it wouldn't fit the event it represents but, luckily, that's not the case.

We have breakfast at the village and Jim volunteers to show us future projects for about ½ an hour. We eagerly take him up on this generous offer, knowing that there are a lot of other things he will be putting on the back-burner to do this with us but it's during these times that I've been able to learn all the back-stories on these projects. It's important to me that people hear the "whys" and "hows" behind what happened, what’s happening, and what’s planned for tomorrow.

Within a 6-block radius, Jim navigates us around empty lots , foundations, concrete pads, gutted structures and, finally, completed homes.

Jim can answer pretty much all our questions (we always have plenty of those!) and he gives a quick history background on one home in particular that answers a question that I'm guessing we've all had in our heads:

“If you live in an area that is prone to hurricanes, WHY would you choose to rebuild if you're totally wiped out, when it'd probably be easier, faster and, in most cases, cheaper, to just move?"

Here's the best thing I've got to demonstrate an answer-- and I hope it works for you.

One of the homes Jim takes us to is 223 Nixon Street. It was twisted sideways by the storm and part of the rebuild on it involved an elaborate and slow system of pulleys to get it as close to plumb and level as possible. (It'll never REALLY have right angles or perpendicular walls but it probably didn't in the first place.) It would have been far faster - and far cheaper - to just demo it and start from scratch... but the home was built in 1888 by a freed slave and Jackie Washington lives there today. Jackie is a great, great (and maybe a few more "greats") relative of the person that built the home. Jackie lost it all so saving this home is the only tie left to the Biloxi Washington family history.

If you've been reading these entries of mine, you've seen "lost it all" a LOT. But I don't think that I can wrap my head around that as a concept. When I think of that, I envision that a fire went through and wrecked a few rooms... or that I was robbed of some items. To imagine that every dish, every graduation and baby photo , every clock, every book and CD, even everyday items like dishes and cooking utensils that I have in my home that I don't give a second thought to … all of it just being taken away in a matter of hours -- I have nothing to relate that to and, for that, I am eternally grateful.

So Jackie wants to save this home because, after the storm, it's literally the only thing left. The contents are long gone ... but the house itself remains. Yes, it's true that tomorrow another storm could come along and wreck it all again. Jackie knows this – knows it better than most, that’s for sure – but what right do I have to ask someone to abandon their own history? For that matter, I live on a major, VERY active fault line in Northern California and there are people all over the country that, I’m SURE, think I’m nuts for living there, but their fact-based opinion doesn’t mean I’m gonna start to pack. That’s my home. It’s what I know.

I've made it a point to NOT end these entries on a down-note ... so I'll happily report that we finished the two coats of paint on all the trim in the Pearson home, and we were able to complete one coat of paint on all the trim in the Bullock home. During lunch, I stop by Miss Dickson’s home and (get ready to cheer, Week 1 volunteers) I see blueboard and sheetrock sitting ready for installation.

Kevin and Emily spent part of the day moving what must have been two houses (or more) worth of insulation with Jordan L. (Ryan’s brother) and we wrapped up our day not by celebrating loudly at what we'd done, but over a cup of coffee at a bookstore with Jim, who agreed to spend his after-dinner down-time with us (and for that I thank him profusely).

Kevin, Emily and I will leave really early tomorrow to head to New Orleans (and drive alongside a bridge that is ... uh ... well, "out", I guess) . Emily has the first flight out (Bruce will be flying out of Gulfport in the mid-day) and so we've already said our goodbyes at camp. I'll have time before my late-afternoon flight so I hope to show Kevin the French Quarter of New Orleans.

You won't be receiving another journal entry from me until November 12th, when I take my last trip the final Volunteer team. If you've read anything that you want further information on, if you have any questions about how you can get involved directly (or indirectly), or if you'd just like to send me your own Katrina-related story (I got yours, Aime -- thank you VERY much!), please feel free to drop me an email or call me at work. If I don't have the answer, I'll get it for you.
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Thanks to Kevin, JJ, Emily and Bruce
for sharing their time, energy, and humor with me all week. I'd also like to thank the company and my private support team for allowing me to be ABLE to do this work … and I'd never forgive myself if I didn't also thank Jim and Nancy P.and Ryan, Kelly, and Jordan L. for sharing their time with our team this week. It meant a lot to all of us.

Jim -- I'll see ya' bright and early on the morning of the 13th with (I hope) a whole mess of eager volunteers ready to help you and your team get these families home for Thanksgiving.