Thursday Thirteen # 8

I have always enjoyed doing the Thursday Thirteen and thought I would give it another try...

1. Yesterday, I spent the entire day in my PJ's watching all the two year anniversary of Katrina stuff on TV. I don't know that I have anything to add except to say that I found all the national coverage was very hopeless and all the local coverage was very hopeful. People who came down here to report what is going on two years later showed all the bad glossing over all the good. People covering the story from local stations emphasized all the good and glossed over all the bad.



2. I also noticed that getting money from insurance companies and FEMA seems to be pretty biased toward people who are middle class and above.



3. There but for the grace of God go I. I can't imagine having to live in a FEMA trailer, having to continue to pay my house payment and insurance payment, while not getting any money for two years. I can't imagine my baby having to use a port-a-pot toilet at elementary school in the hot Mississippi sun. I wish I knew what to do.



4. This thing about perspective confuses me. For some families this experience was the most powerfully good experience of their lives. The thousands of people who have come to help re-build. The millions of dollars that have been donated. Neighbor helping neighbor, it is the most amazing thing.



5. For others, this has been the most horrid experience of their lives. Shaking their faith in God and people. I am sure you have seen all these stories of the people left on roof tops, the people who waded through the waters across the bridge and were turned away with shotguns, the people still living in formaldehyde filled FEMA trailers, the school children in FEMA trailers with no running water and port-a-pots-still. Everywhere you look there is growth and there is slab after slab of homes and businesses that have not been rebuilt.



6. Many people believe that you choose your perspective, that how you see this hurricane Katrina and her aftermath is a choice you make. Do you see all the good things or do you see all the bad things? I believe that at least in this case, perspective is not a choice that you make it is a choice that is made for you. I know that if I lost everything and two years later still had no hope of ever getting out of the FEMA trailer, I would not have a good perspective of humanity. But, if some strangers came and built me a new home, I think I might have a different outlook on humanity.



7. When we bought our house, we were forced to buy home owners insurance from one company, windstorm insurance from another company, and flood insurance from a third company. The windstorm insurance people finally sent us our receipt for our policy, the hard copy of our policy last week, six months after they cashed our check. For a lot of people, who had insurance, the flood insurance people say-it was the wind and the windstorm insurance people say it was the flood. They all expect people who lost everything to provide proof of what they owned, like photos or receipts? Right now the amount of money we pay toward insurance is more than the amount of money we pay toward our loan. If anything were to happen I wonder if all that would make a difference.



8. What are your thoughts on Katrina two years later? Is this an example of everything that is wrong with our country? Or is this an example of how when a situation is too much for the systems we have in place we all band together and reach into our hearts and find a solution? What is your perspective?



9. We have a four day weekend, starting tomorrow with no plans. I think I need to get out of the house and have some fun.



10. School starts on Tuesday, I am so excited about the class I am taking. However, my professor of my previous class has still not finished grading our stuff, so I wonder how I did there???



11. I finished reading Flirting with Forty, even though I was supposed to read Between, Georgia first and I still haven't finished The Memory Keepers Daughter or Baby Proof. I really like Flirting with Forty, I can't wait for our discussion.
    



12. So I read in the paper that Mississippi is the fattest, poorest, worst educated people in our country? What is up with that? I can't help but wonder, am I living in an area that is an exception to this because of the military community or due to being on the coast or because we happen to live in a really nice city? Is my perception off because I want to see the good or am I just living in an area that is unusually nice for Mississippi?
    



13. I need to get busy on Lily's quilt, so far I have bought the material, washed and ironed the material. My goal is to do the cutting and get something sewn this weekend. What about you, any weekend plans?

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