Because I didn't grow up in the south, Hurricane Katrina really didn't affect me. I was a freshman in high school and my day-to-day didn't change. I didn't really watch the news or keep up with the storm. My knowledge regarding the subject didn't go much further than, "There's a big hurricane hitting Louisiana and Mississippi right now." After high school I moved to southern Mississippi and it was there that I soon realize how ignorant I was on the matter. My neighbors all surrounding me had lived there during that very same storm and gave me their own personal stories on how Katrina affected them. Fast-forward about 5ish years and I've realized that this storm and its aftermath was much more than anything I could even imagine. I think what shocked me most about the storm was the poor attempt at help that we as a nation offered our own.
Though it is so frustrating to think about those people suffering, watching their stories was so inspiring. There were many accounts of NOLA citizens taking the job of the first-responder into their own hands. In a way these stories sort of reminded me of my own town. Chillicothe is such a small place that we're kind of just one huge family. If someone falls ill and has a benefit, everybody in the town comes. Our support for the St. Jude run beat Chicago this year, because the town came together as a whole. Remember - we are a population of 6,000. Anyways, seeing the way the citizens of New Orleans came together to help each other gave me chills, but also made my heart full. It made me think about my little town and how I know that if a natural disaster were to occur (though I hope there never is) - my town would be okay. We have each other and we always have. I almost felt honored to be able to visit this amazing city of New Orleans, yet a little bit ashamed that I didn't know more about the complete devastation this city faced only ten years prior.
Seeing everything inside this museum also made me think about healthcare and my future in healthcare. I can't imagine how overly crowded the nearest -and capable- hospitals were. I can't imagine the long hours those nurses worked without taking care of themselves, because they knew they had lives to save. This is actually a screenshot I sent to my boyfriend when these thoughts were going through my head. Excuse the profanity... I am a potty mouth.
Mixed with the sadness was also pride. I am proud of myself, and the nursing field as a whole, for choosing a career that is devoted to taking care of others.
My reaction to Hurricane Katrina was a mixture of feelings. I was devastated reading the personal accounts on what happened. It was heart wrenching to view the photos and videos. It was frustrating to see the different times that people had tried to warn that the city would not be able to handle any significant amount of water. It restored some faith in humanity knowing how much the citizens helped each other out. Strangers took other strangers in. People risked their lives in order to save someone they'd never even seen before. It was disheartening to see the lack of response from governmental organizations. It was depressing to find out how many people were injured, how many died, and how many are still missing. It was angering to read about the looters and how greedy some people are.
Overall I am so happy that the city of New Orleans has prevailed. I appreciated the city so much more after visiting the Presbytère and I would highly suggest that anyone in the area also visit. Not only was hurricane Katrina a monumental devastation in history - it was also a time where the human race came together as one and fought for their home. Strangers helped strangers, volunteers came from all over and devoted their time, anyone who was willing and able - did. I think that NOLA's reaction to Katrina should be emphasized just as much as the storm's damage was because the world has become such a crummy place... I think that a reminder like this would give everybody a little bit of faith. Be kind. Give when you can and take when you need. If we could all just work TOGETHER....
I won't lie, my mind was still focused on the Presbytère when we visited the Cabildo. I was very moved by that experience. Though I was intrigued by all of the different sights within the Cabildo, I'm not sure I found any of its stories to be "interesting." If I had to choose, I would say what kept me most interested were all of the artifacts. I love to see old objects and discover their uses. I like to consider their relativity to today's world and then if they are still used, I like to compare the OG (Original Gangsta) version to whatever today's version is. For example, I came across a Physician's chest. It was filled with all of the doctor's medications/supplies so that he could travel and still be able to fully access his tools in order to treat them.
It was crazy to me how large and presumably heavy this chest must have been. I actually thought about my luggage and how much it sucks to lift it up right above my head in order to load it into the train. I couldn't imagine lugging around something like this all day everyday. Not to mention that most of what was inside would probably have killed you or made your ailment worse before ever making it better. Though I did not enjoy this facility as much as the Presbytère, a an early Amerixan history buff would. Overall this was one of my favorite days of the trip.
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