upon further reflection
in dealing with the tragic events surrounding hurricane katrina, i have come to realize that my insensitivity has gotten the best of me...again.
in truth, i am not a big fan of the city of new orleans. i've spent some time there and it is just hard for me to be positive about a culture that seemingly revolves around varying degrees of drunkeness and debauchery. the thing i do realize, however, is that most of this takes place in area heavily populated by tourists, and NOT the locals. i say this because for years, i have falsely accused the big easy of being every bit as shady and dirty, in its entirety, as any barroom floor along bourbon street. and i was wrong to do so.
i tend to over-simplify situations for the comedic value. it's something i'm not necessarily proud of, but it's true. so when the possibility of a storm this size wiping out new orleans came up, i made jokes. that's how my brain works.
since the reports started coming in yesterday, i have slowly begun to see that i have discarded, if only in my own heart and mind, the devastating human drama for the sake of my own amusement.
i will no doubt continue to point my ire toward those in hollywood and the like who will throw on the face and ask for our money. pardon me if i doubt intentions. but i want to be very clear to myself and to those around me that i do not take this situation lightly. i am saddened by it. i really am. i wish i was more affected by it, but it's hard for me to see beyond my own circumstances.
and that's something i'm learning to deal with.
in truth, i am not a big fan of the city of new orleans. i've spent some time there and it is just hard for me to be positive about a culture that seemingly revolves around varying degrees of drunkeness and debauchery. the thing i do realize, however, is that most of this takes place in area heavily populated by tourists, and NOT the locals. i say this because for years, i have falsely accused the big easy of being every bit as shady and dirty, in its entirety, as any barroom floor along bourbon street. and i was wrong to do so.
i tend to over-simplify situations for the comedic value. it's something i'm not necessarily proud of, but it's true. so when the possibility of a storm this size wiping out new orleans came up, i made jokes. that's how my brain works.
since the reports started coming in yesterday, i have slowly begun to see that i have discarded, if only in my own heart and mind, the devastating human drama for the sake of my own amusement.
i will no doubt continue to point my ire toward those in hollywood and the like who will throw on the face and ask for our money. pardon me if i doubt intentions. but i want to be very clear to myself and to those around me that i do not take this situation lightly. i am saddened by it. i really am. i wish i was more affected by it, but it's hard for me to see beyond my own circumstances.
and that's something i'm learning to deal with.
posted by cade at 11:06 PM
2 Comments:
cade-I'm with you. It's easy to comment. It's easy to point fingers. As I just posted this morning, the comparison to biblical judgment is obvious, but that doesn't mean the tragedy isn't real, that it might just as well have been me living there as anyone else on the planet. I find poking fun and joking to be sometimes useful to mask my own stress, for I am quite distressed when I see the pictures. Knowing you as I do, I suspect you and I are on the same wavelength on this subject, even if neither of us can fully and appropriately express our complex emotions.
I don't know if this helps, but I meant for it to...
It's good to hear your heart... :)
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