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Thursday the 10th, August 2006.
woke at 6 am New Orleans, meaning 4 am California.
Put on the boots I wore throughout the disaster zones,
Patronized the evil empire of Starbucks,
got lost with my Ethiopian taxi driver in the 9th ward-
finally found the habitat for humanity worksite.
Met Mitzie, Michelle (the only other Asian person in sight), Mary, Jackie, Joyce. worked in 90 degree heat & total humidty all day.
caulked, spackled, taped, painted, hauled, climbed, lugged, swept, washed.
was fed & watered through the generousity of the Baptists.
Replenished by the sight of so many people, young and old, building/re-building the Musician’s village of the 9th ward. A whole busload of them are here from Cinncinati for no other purpose than to work on these homes.
Was driven back to convention ctr. by kindly Michelle who brought her 2 fantastically beautiful hapa teens with her where they all three plan to toil all week.
My nails are a mess, there are paint spots embedded on my clothes and caulk everywhere, and I have perspired the equivalent of a sweatlodge experience.
Construction is dang hard work! But at the end of the day-you get to see what’s completed.
I can not fathom that it has been almost 1 year now since katrina and rita devastated the gulf coast. For my friends in New Orleans, so very, very, little has changed in this long year.
My service there has taught me more than I ever thought possible about government, politics, human nature at its very finest or greediest, and about resilience.
My little teeny contribution of one day makes me smile. I met good folks. I put my sweat and fingerprints into that little salmon colored home.
If you ever have time-volunteer for habitat for humanity.
They might teach you new skills, and you’ll be glad ya gave.
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