Happy Mardi Gras, Kossacks! Today begins the three-day countdown to 'Fat Tuesday', as well as 'Super Tuesday', so I figure I'll go to the voting booths with mardi gras beads in remembrance of one of my all time favorite places-New Orleans!
When I first moved away from home in CA, I had a list of all the places in the world I wanted to live. New Orleans was #5....London #1, Paris #2, Amsterdam #3, Key West was #4! Miami, New York and Boston were also on that list. I still haven't made it to New York and I haven't actually lived in New Orleans, yet! Maybe someday, when my kids are grown, I'll have a chance to live there....I hope so! I was there twice in my lifetime and would relish the chance to go back.
I want to take a moment and share some of my own memories with you, of how I remember New Orleans, these photos were taken in 1994, with my old Nikon and I've had to re-photograph them with my digital in order to publish on the website, so I'm sorry for any lighting issues, but you are still able to get the feel and my appreciation for the beauty that was New Orleans.
I was reading a wonderful diary this morning entitled "Rise, America", by Raybin. In Raybin's diary, he quotes Chris Thomas King's album called "Rise"...from the song, "Flow Mississippi Flow", truly a beautiful and touching piece of work...
The sky is crying in New Orleans
Water rushing in through my door
I’m so tired of being sick and tired, till I can’t cry no more
"So flow Mississippi flow, sail me anywhere but here"
"I got no place to go, don’t wanna drown in my tears"
Business man survey my land
Can’t wait until I’m gone
He’s making plans I don’t understand
We never could get along
"So flow Mississippi flow, sail me away from here"
"I got no place to go, don’t wanna drown in my tears"
What has happened to this poor man’s land?
You see I built this house with my aching hands
With the love of my life, we raised a family
But she’s long gone and no one’s left here to care for me
"Flow Mississippi flow, sail me away from here"
"I got no place to go, don’t wanna drown in my tears"
"Flow Mississippi flow, sail me away from here"
"I got no where to go, don’t wanna drown in my tears"
We cannot let the people of the Gulf Coast think we have forgotten about them, they have suffered so deeply, so many injustices, our own government has not done what needed to be done. We need to stand with our fellow man, and help them rebuild. And rebuilding they are, no matter how long the road may seem, step, by baby-step it can be done....Let's help them do it.....Let them know that WE HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN THEM...
N.E.N.A. is a small grass-roots organization that has many ways to directly help in the Lower Ninth Ward, where most of the major damage occurred.
I wrote a diary with many other links yesterday. NightProwlKitty has written two diaries this weekend, the first one entitled, "I'm not waiting on the government to give me nothing", and this morning's Weekend Marathon: "Among the best neighborhoods in the US"
kj wrote about NOLA's Ninth Ward's NENA in "Eyes on the Prize!" and we are determined to spread the word and raise a little $$$ for the city where America goes to play...Happy Mardi Gras!