We were devastated by the idea that we had lost everything, but considering the loss of one of our beloved animals, as well as the loss of my Mother and my Grandmother; life and loss was put into perspective for us. We immediately realized that there was much more in life to lose than simple belongings. Don't get me wrong, there were things in our home that we lost that can never be replaced, but at least we were alive and well able to rebuild our lives.
We spent the next couple of weeks in Northeast Alabama completely at the mercy of my family and some very generous complete strangers. Needless to say, you find out very quickly who you can depend on in times of crisis.
Now it was time for some hard decisions to be made. Do we wait and try to go back and rebuild our home in St. Bernard or do we start looking for a new city to relocate to? Where will our family and friends live now? Do we wait on family memebers who lived close to make their decision and then rebuild close to them? This situation gave a whole new meaning to the old adage, "So many questions, so little time." After a couple of days we decided that we had to make our own decisions, we couldn't wait on others, they certainly weren't waiting on us.
You never really think about everything to be considered when you are forced to relocate your life. As we sat reflecting on our options we discovered that there was more to consider than simply the location of our new home. We had to consider our careers as well. You see there are three people involved in the this move which means three careers and three of everything else. Before Katrina we each had our own careers and paths in life. One of us was a personal banker with Whitney Bank in New Orleans, one was an HIV/AIDS counselor with the NO/AIDS Task Force and I owned a successful computer networking and administration company. Questions, Questions and no way to know what to expect or where life would take us. How do we come to decision that will benefit all three of us? Where in the world do you relocate to when the one place you know and love is gone? Who do you turn to for advice when the two people who you trust the most have just passed away?
TO BE CONTINUED TOMORROW
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
How we measure time . . .
History is happening around us constantly, whether we realize it or not we make history every single day. From the smallest gesture of kindness to the outrageous unleashing of anger, we change the world everyday. Everything happening in the world, both good and bad changes our lives in some way. Sometimes these changes go by seemingly unnoticed, other times they actually affect us quite prominently on a daily basis.
Let me give you an example by introducing myself. My name is Mark and once upon a time, I was a resident of St. Bernard Parish Louisiana. I lived in St. Bernard Parish for 8 years, started a computer networking company and purchased a home. I had many friends and led a very busy and social life. I can't say that there was really anything that I wanted in life that I didn't already have. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't independantly wealthy, but I had what I wanted at the time. Life was good.
Enter Hurricane Katrina! August of 2005 was a miserable month for my partners and I. On August first one of our beloved dogs passed away. She was a wonderful friend and companion and she is dearly missed everyday. Soon after this on August tenth, my Mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and was given an estimated 2 years to live. The next day, August eleventh, my Grandmother (my Mom's Mother) was diagnosed with acute leukemia and she was given 6 months. My Mom passed away on August eighteenth, only 8 days after she was diagnosed and given 2 years. After attending my Mom's funeral in Northeast Alabama my partners and I returned home to Louisiana. We were home for approximately 1 week when our local news started encouraging everyone to evacuate because Hurricane Katrina was entering the Gulf of Mexico. We waited and watched and ultimately made our decision to batton down the hatches and remain home for Hurricane Katrina. On the night of August 27th, for some yet unknown reason, we decided that it would be in our best interest to evacuate, completely expecting that we would return in a few days. Since my Mother had so recently passed, we decided to go back to Northeast Alabama and spend some time with my family. We arrived in Alabama very early on the morning of August 28th. After getting some sleep we were preparing to go out for dinner when my cell phone rang. It was my sister telling me that my Grandmother was not doing well and that I should come to be with her. I spent all night sitting with her, talking to her and holding her hand. At 7:05 a.m. on August 29th, 2005, at the exact moment when Hurricane Katrina made landfall my Grandmother drew her last breath with me holding her hand. Devastaed doesn't begin to describe my emotional state.
The next couple of days were spent making funeral arrangments for my Grandmother. This was the second time in two weeks that we had gone through this process so we knew what to expect. While I was busy making arrangements and making sure that everything was running smoothly for my Grandmother Memorial, Hurricane Katrina was unleashing her fury on the Gulf Coast. Soon, Katrina passed and the devastation was being broadcast on the news all over the country. I wasn't paying attention to most of it, being slightly preoccupied with the death of my Grandmother. It was at the visitation, the night before my Grandmother's funeral that I received the news that St. Bernard Parish had flooded and that my home was damaged. I chuckle slightly now at the word "damaged!". At the time, no one knew the extent of the damage. Soon after the funeral, Sean and Eric, my partners, began investigating the damage on the Internet so we could file insurance claims if needed. It was on CNN's website that we saw our home for the first time. Apparently St. Bernard Parish had received more damage than anyone new, we saw our home under 14 feet of water. The only thing visible was the peek of the roof. We had lost everything!
TO BE CONTINUED TOMORROW . . .
Let me give you an example by introducing myself. My name is Mark and once upon a time, I was a resident of St. Bernard Parish Louisiana. I lived in St. Bernard Parish for 8 years, started a computer networking company and purchased a home. I had many friends and led a very busy and social life. I can't say that there was really anything that I wanted in life that I didn't already have. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't independantly wealthy, but I had what I wanted at the time. Life was good.
Enter Hurricane Katrina! August of 2005 was a miserable month for my partners and I. On August first one of our beloved dogs passed away. She was a wonderful friend and companion and she is dearly missed everyday. Soon after this on August tenth, my Mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and was given an estimated 2 years to live. The next day, August eleventh, my Grandmother (my Mom's Mother) was diagnosed with acute leukemia and she was given 6 months. My Mom passed away on August eighteenth, only 8 days after she was diagnosed and given 2 years. After attending my Mom's funeral in Northeast Alabama my partners and I returned home to Louisiana. We were home for approximately 1 week when our local news started encouraging everyone to evacuate because Hurricane Katrina was entering the Gulf of Mexico. We waited and watched and ultimately made our decision to batton down the hatches and remain home for Hurricane Katrina. On the night of August 27th, for some yet unknown reason, we decided that it would be in our best interest to evacuate, completely expecting that we would return in a few days. Since my Mother had so recently passed, we decided to go back to Northeast Alabama and spend some time with my family. We arrived in Alabama very early on the morning of August 28th. After getting some sleep we were preparing to go out for dinner when my cell phone rang. It was my sister telling me that my Grandmother was not doing well and that I should come to be with her. I spent all night sitting with her, talking to her and holding her hand. At 7:05 a.m. on August 29th, 2005, at the exact moment when Hurricane Katrina made landfall my Grandmother drew her last breath with me holding her hand. Devastaed doesn't begin to describe my emotional state.
The next couple of days were spent making funeral arrangments for my Grandmother. This was the second time in two weeks that we had gone through this process so we knew what to expect. While I was busy making arrangements and making sure that everything was running smoothly for my Grandmother Memorial, Hurricane Katrina was unleashing her fury on the Gulf Coast. Soon, Katrina passed and the devastation was being broadcast on the news all over the country. I wasn't paying attention to most of it, being slightly preoccupied with the death of my Grandmother. It was at the visitation, the night before my Grandmother's funeral that I received the news that St. Bernard Parish had flooded and that my home was damaged. I chuckle slightly now at the word "damaged!". At the time, no one knew the extent of the damage. Soon after the funeral, Sean and Eric, my partners, began investigating the damage on the Internet so we could file insurance claims if needed. It was on CNN's website that we saw our home for the first time. Apparently St. Bernard Parish had received more damage than anyone new, we saw our home under 14 feet of water. The only thing visible was the peek of the roof. We had lost everything!
TO BE CONTINUED TOMORROW . . .
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