A Liar, A Crier And A Cheat

I would like to start this post by apologizing for being MIA yesterday. Now I could make up a story about how I watched the Super Bowl and was so tired afterwards that I wrote a post that I wasn't sure made any sense and how I asked Jessica to proof it for me and how we had mixed messages and I didn't get her message that the post was "Punk approved" and thus never posted it but that's totally unbelievable so I'm just going to tell the truth.

George Clooney stopped by and well, you know.

So while George was here, he, Matt and I got to talking about all the good work our dear friend, Brad Pitt, is doing down in New Orleans. (If you recall Matt and I hang out with Brad and Angie after hours.) And I thought I might share with you some of my thoughts from that conversation or I might just be posting the post I wrote yesterday because I'm too lazy to write a new one. (I'd hate to waste a "Punk approved" post.)

I feel confident that I watched no less then 13 hours of Superbowl coverage today. The media talked a lot about New Orleans and how they still haven't recovered from Katrina and how they  have so much invested in their team (emotionally speaking). How knowing that the Saints made it to the Superbowl gives them hope and a belief that they could overcome any obstacle and accomplish anything.

All the talk of Katrina reminded me of where I was when the levees broke. Growing up I always heard people talk about remembering where they were when man walked on the moon or JFK got shot, etc. It occurs to me now that I'm old. I remember where I was when major events took place. I remember when the first Bush declared war on Iraq or where I was when Princess Diana died. I remember the confusion and disbelief of the people in the room when we heard over the radio that the twin towers had collapsed.

When Katrina hit New Orleans, I was pregnant for Anthony. I sat in my living room and cried. I felt completely helpless. I wanted to rush down there and comfort the people I saw on the news. Naturally a pregnant woman with a one year old can't just pick up and spend a few weeks wading through dirty waters. We were beyond poor. We couldn't even make ends meet for ourselves so I had no money or things to donate. So I just sat there and cried for them.
A lot of other natural disasters have occurred since then, most recently, of course, the earthquake in Haiti. For me (at least), it feels like we move from one problem to the next. We've moved on from Katrina, but the citizens of New Orleans have not. Katrina has continued to walk the streets of New Orleans long after the media abandoned them. Their homes are still nothing more then slabs of concrete that were once the foundations. They are still living with friends or homeless. They want to rebuild their lives, but like Matt and I were so many years ago, they lack the means to even help themselves.
But tonight, as they celebrate something as seemingly meaningless as a football win, they are full of pride and hope. Watching the Saints struggle for years upon years before accomplishing their goal of winning the Superbowl reminds the people of New Orleans that patience, hard work and determination can overcome.