News From Robin in NOLA

Got another long update letter from my girl on da ground in NOLA. I love getting these letters as it somehow seems to keep me connected in a small way to what's happening down there. Here's some of the highlights:

My brother, Billy, and I finally got Mom settled into a new place to call her own until she can go home to Gulfport. She is living at Loyalton (a retirement community) in Hattiesburg right now. She seems to like it and there are other people from the MS Gulf Coast living there, so she's not alone. The people who work there are phenomenal and are really looking out for her. This frees me and Billy up enough to get on with life and not have to worry about our sweet mamma.

I have to say, my mom still has the best attitude and outlook on life. Even when I was freaking out that I had nowhere for her to go and that I was dragging her around the Southeast....she said, "Well, I've only been in 6 different houses". She hasn't complained. She said, "Well, we lost everything in Camille (1969) and it took us 36 years to lose it again...we'll be okay".

Of course, FEMA has dropped the ball where my mom is concerned. they contacted her recently to tell her that she voluntarily withdrew her request for aid. Yippee, I get to fight with FEMA. They withdrew my request because the guy who lived in my house before me used my address and they won't pay 2 people at one address. Oh, I have a great time ahead of me.

So, life in New Orleans is still weird/invigorating. I am not sure what you see on TV these days because I am sure the rest of the country has moved onto the next disaster, but our government is still moving too slow for the average person. We only have 60,000 people in this city each night, so it's pretty weird. We still have a 2am curfew that people are becoming restless about. Restaurants/stores still close early and have limited staff. Most restaurants still have limited menus, as well. Our game of finding the next business to reopen is still on...we run out each time someone reopens...always supporting the economy.

Traffic is horrible around here. A lot of the traffic lights are not working, so there are 4 way stops in a lot of places. This seems to be driving people crazy. It's kinda funny, though, because the 'burbs of New Orleans are crammed with people, but the traffic is no worse than Atlanta traffic...we're just used to getting around a lot faster and easier. I went to the Westbank today and it took an hour to get home, twice as long as usual.

Of course, our comfort level is being messed with a little, but we are still very fortunate. I can handle the traffic, I guess. Curfew is messing with people, as well. A Night Out Against Curfew is going to happen on December 20, with Hank Staple from the Maple Leaf heading the pack. This should be fun. A few of his employees were arrested last week for ignoring curfew. Some nights, the National Guard/Police ignore the fact that bars are still open and, then, on other nights, they stormtroop the bars and hassle people.

The New Orleans Musicians Relief Fund is having a party tonight to give toys to musicians kids. We now have swag, so if anyone is interested, please go to www.nomrf.org. We have been able to get a lot of financial assistance to musicians and we are receiving instruments to distribute now. Jeff and Karen have been doing an amazing job.

I am still working with Hart4Humanity, as well as the NOMRF, but this organization is not able to gel and get focused to my liking. They were going to do an event at the House of Blues this month, but backed out. The guy who started this organization has a big heart, but he keeps shifting gears and expecting the people he is working with in New Orleans to be able to keep up. Believe me, shifting gears right now can be difficult.

I am also working with the New Orleans Musicians Coalition, helping musicians get housing, work, etc. We have only had a couple of meetings, but it is a cool group of music industry people. It feels good to be in a room with so many people with the same objective...getting the musicians back.

Getting the musicians back home....oooh, now that's a goal of mine that can put me on a major soapbox...I'll save that for later. Needless to say, I have been ranting and raving on this subject to many musicians. I understand they are scared/confused/have no place to live, but these cats are the ones who played a major part on building the culture of New Orleans and I don't want to lose that, dammit!!! I didn't listen to those knuckleheads pontificating about the culture of New Orleans for the last 20 years to have them move to Houston/Atlanta/wherever and have our music homogenized, durnit! I am truly scared of the future of the New Orleans culture and her music.

I plan on a day trip to Gulfport this Sunday....not sure I'm ready, but they opened Hwy. 90 and I really want to go visit some friends. I hope to make it to Bay St. Louis, as well. I have only been doing 1 MS Coast town at a time because it is so overwhelming. I say am ready to see my hometown from the perspective of Hwy. 90, however, there is no true way to prepare yourself for what is to come. The devastation that I have seen so far is indescribable and awesome. It's difficult to soak it all in.

Overwhelming...it's almost 3 months after the storm and it seems to be sinking in more and more each day. The enormity of the aftermath is incredible. You can't grasp the scope of this in one thought...it's too much. Not to sound depressing, but we have all been doing such a good job of living, cheerleading, etc. that I think that some of us have either been avoiding truly thinking of the job ahead of us. Of course, I know that the journey we are on is a very long one as well as a very important one, but I don't want to get bogged down with the reality of how f*&ked up everything is. I want to watch the news to stay abreast of what's going on, but it just pisses me off. I am so tired of people spouting conspiracy theories, blaming people, etc.

I finally had a breakdown last week and sobbed for 3 hours straight. I think it started building in me that morning, when my friend, Clark, called me from Bay St. Louis and he couldn't tell where he was. Then, I received an email from my friend, Judy, from a Chattanooga newspaper in which the writer spoke of the forgotten people in MS, the fact that many will not have much of a Christmas. Then, I went with Spike and Co. to Gentilly/Ponchartrain Park. I guess that, on top of the last 3 months is enough to break the damn, huh?

Even though I feel more alive than I have in a long time, I am heartbroken by the City of New Orleans being ravaged by floodwaters as well as the MS Gulf Coast basically being blown off the map. I know we will be okay, but I just had to admit to myself as well as those around me that this SUCKS!!! Just knowing that people I love are having to deal with no homes, either sleeping in tents on slabs or in trailers, and the weather is getting cold and rainy just freaked me out. I want to do more, but I just don't know what else to do but be there when someone needs me.

I want to continue to cheer and be positive for those less fortunate than myself, but every time I ride by the Superdome, I get these horrible visions of what happened in there as well as people walking down the interstate, trying to get out of town. I won't continue this train of thought because it is so depressing, but how can that happen in America? I understand that katrina was the largest natural disaster to hit the United States, but damn.

I am dealing with two monsters...the flood of New Orleans and the devastation on the Gulf Coast. I want to be in both places at once. I am dying to see all of my friends on the Gulf Coast, but it is an impossible task these days. They all seem to be doing okay...they definitely have an amazing fortitude and attitude.

Hang in there, Robin. You know South MIssissippians, & New Orleanians are a tough bunch. It's going ot take a while, but it will get better!!