The Big Easy?

Greetings from New Orleans where Dear Hubs, Adorable Stepson and I are currently on vacation, visiting and staying with my in laws.

Wow, what a place! Toured the French Quarter today, enjoyed delicious cajun food and live music, walked through the french market, gazed at the wide Mississippi, and loving every minute of it. This evening the guys headed out for an overnight stay in a true swamp cabin, and will spend tomorrow, Sunday, out on the gulf, fishing and bonding. “Mom” and I are off to Mass in the morning and then more city touring. She also promised a tour of this historic cathedral: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Louis_Cathedral,_New_Orleans

There are many street people in New Orleans. After Katrina the City wanted to “do something about” them, and opened talks between the street’s liaison and the government. The City wanted to move them into a shelter but the people said no, they would rather have their own hotel rooms. The city couldn’t agree to that, so they purchased tents for them which turned out to be a good thing because now they all live together in their large tent community in a rather prominent location, under a bridge just outside the French Quarter. As “Pop” was driving us back from our first foray into the Quarter today, we drove by this group of tent people. Dear Hubs and I plan to make a visit or two during the week, perhaps brings some pizzas or sammies. Also from the car, while waiting on a light to change green while we were still in the Quarter, I witnessed one street person get turned down and then ignored on two consecutive attempts for handouts in the span of just a few seconds. It made me realize that each second in the life of a homeless man or woman can mean the difference between eating or not, between health and sickness, between life and death.

On the road trip down here, we had our usual “emergency tuna pack meal” in the truck and were able to feed a man on an exit ramp outside Jackson, MS yesterday. Adorable Stepson was intently paying attention, especially when the man devoured a homemade cookie with a huge grin.

Soon thereafter I was gazing out the window at the beautiful Mississippi pines when there suddenly appeared a very tall cross and a sign that said simply “Enjoy God.” Must try to snap a picture on the trip back home. In smaller letters under Enjoy God was www.themission.org

More profound than the small experience of feeding one hungry person and the tall cross inviting me to Enjoy God is the amazing juxtaposition of New Orleans. In just under 24 hours Stepson has witnessed southern hospitality, colorful things, even more colorful people, how it feels to generously tip our lunchtme Blues band, really old architecture, what fried alligator tastes like (quite tender actually), extreme decadence…and the sight of the people under the bridge, extreme poverty.

Although I was looking forward to a week of relaxing and eating as much gulf bay shrimp as I could possibly stand, this vacation is shaping up to be a lesson in Mission.

More news as the week progresses. Meanwhile, enjoy God.

Jamie