Times Like Th(e)se

times like those
a low-land home
heaven and earth filled the room
'til the windows broke
children rose

J. Tillman, Marked In the Valley (Year In the Kingdom)
Special thanks to Jackal who has always provided me with uncanny soundtracks for whatever thoughts I'm presently chewing upon.

Viva NOLA

A thousand thanks to Jaunt for the quotes.

There was- and always has been- another tradition that stretched from the days of the country's founding to the glory of the Civil Rights movement; a tradition based on the simple idea that we have a stake in one another, and that what binds us together is greater than what drives us apart, and that if enough people believe in the truth of that proposition and act on it, then we might not solve every problem, but we can get something meaningful done.
-President Barack Obama

The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself.
-Anna Quindelin

Wherever you are, be there.
-Emerson
(I wrote this quote on the paper beneath the siding boards that we nailed against the house, and dated it. For as long as the house stands, a little piece of me will be there.)

How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.
-Anne Frank

It is one of the beautiful compensations of this life that no one can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.
-Charles Dudley

The secret of success in this life is to realize that the crisis on our planet is much larger than deciding what to do with your own life. The only work that will ultimately bring any good to any of us is the work of contributing to the healing of the world.
-Marianne Williamson

Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us every day.
-Sally Koch

The true civilization is where every man gives to every other every right that he claims for himself.
-Robert Ingersoll

We don't accomplish anything in this world alone...and whatever happens is the result of the whole tapestry of one's life and all the weavings of individual threads from one to another that creates something.
-Sandra Day O'Connor

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
-Martin Luther King, Jr.

Any change, any loss, does not make us victims. Others can shake you, surprise you, disappoint you, but they can't prevent you from acting, from taking the situation you're presented with and moving on. No matter where you are in life, no matter what your situation, you can always do something. You always have a choice and the choice can be power.
-Blaine Lee

Life is not merely a series of meaningless accidents or coincidences, but rather, it's a tapestry of events that culminate in an exquisite sublime plan.
-Serendipity

It always seems impossible until it's done.
-Nelson Mandela

The most profound joy has more of gravity than gaiety in it.
-Michel de Montaigne

I cannot believe that the purpose of life is to be happy.
I think the purpose of life is to be USEFUL,
to be responsible,
to be compassionate.
It is above all
to MATTER,
to COUNT,
to STAND for something,
to have made some difference
that you lived at all.
-Leo Rosten

Duly Noted

Thanks to the New Orleans Ladder for linking to my post and for pointing out that much of the post-Katrina damage was due to structural weaknesses as opposed to anything that the storm actually did.

My knowledge of the logistics is, admittedly, a mere drop in the ocean. I couldn't even begin to explain all of the facts surrounding Katrina and, as they referenced it, "The Federal Flood of New Orleans." I tiptoe around these issues knowing that my ignorance of all of the facets of the shattered glass situation certainly creates a specific lens through which the situation is being viewed. I am open to "schooling myself," which is part of the reason I'm here.

The rhetoric in any situation that involves such touchy subjects is always tricky to navigate, especially because as human beings we assign so much meaning to words and how they are used. Please understand that none of my commentary about Katrina is value-laden in the sense that I openly accept my knowledge limitations on the subject.

At the same time, I would like to point out what the New Orleans Ladder blog also kindly took the time to do: this is a grateful city that welcomes volunteers and interest with open arms. Everywhere we go, we are recognizable by our paint-splattered clothes and sawdust in our hair, and everyone is happy to have us. The hospitality here has been overwhelmingly gracious, and I thank NOL for taking the time to not only comment on my blog, but point out some viewpoints and considerations new to me and also to recognize that these conversations are keeping the dialogue open and alive, as it should be.

Snowpocalypse/Snowmageddon/Blizzard of 2010 Part I

So, it snowed.

It's amazing how everything becomes so still. Trees topple under the weight of the snow, blocking streets. Cars are useless. Plows have nowhere to put the mounds of snow, and so they sit until nature takes its course. Everyone is kept circumscribed to their neighborhoods, and I'm not convinced this is a bad thing. Neighbors wave to one another, they pet each others' dogs and ask if anyone needs anything. Stores that can be open stay open late to accommodate people who tramp snow in the front door, shaking it off of their boots and out of their faces, coming in to pick up something for dinner. People come out with their cameras and sketch pads. The streets are crowded with bodies as opposed to cars. It's what the city would be like if no one commuted, if we were truly a village.

These pictures are labeled Part I because, apparently, there is more snow on the way. I have been fortunate to be snowed in with kind friends and neighbors, and the luxury of being able to walk everywhere I need to go. My car is buried under a snowdrift somewhere on a side street and I'm pretty sure I won't see it again until sometime next week.