Saturday, August 30, 2008

And so, I worry

I can't help but be drawn to the coverage of Gustav this week for a lot of reasons I've already explained. But now I have even more reasons. Kind of like when a storm has its sights set on NC, where I used to live, I know people down on the Gulf. And so, I worry. It's supposed to hit west of NO – at least that's the current track – but I worry. I know someone on the Texas Gulf too!

Most recently, a friend I just recently "found" again – after 15+ years – is living in Biloxi. I don't even know if he's been through anything like this before. There's a couple I know who grew up near NO. They were in college up here during Katrina, but they moved back, to teach and be part of the rebuilding effort. I'm wildly proud of them. Another friend of mine also moved to the Gulf after the storm and is part of the rebuilding effort. And then there's my Texas firefighter friend near Houston.

But mostly I worry about the Bridges, not to mention their family, friends and neighbors, who all live in and around Biloxi. They're in their 80s and hadn't been through anything like Katrina all their lives. It was almost too much for them but with the help of volunteers, they were back in their house less than a year after the storm. Not only do they not need to go through this again (who does, really?) but I'm not sure if they or their little house could take another hit. Part of what motivated me (and others, I'm sure) to go down and help was all those people I'd seen in NC who died waiting for their FEMA checks to come through and their homes to be rebuilt while they were stuck tiny FEMA trailers. We, I, didn't want that to happen again. 

And so, I worry. 

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