Hurricane Katrina: What I Learned

In each and every obstacle you go through in life, you come out having gained some type of knowledge. If you are not constantly learning, you are not living. Hurricane Katrina taught me so many lessons.

1) EVACUATE! I packed my car to the roof for every storm after Katrina. There was no way I would be stuck in Decatur again with 3 days worth of clothes.

2) Not everyone is a true friend. As previously mentioned in the first part of my story, I evacuated with my roommate & our friend. My parents welcomed them into our home. D (my friend) stayed with us for a week, then went to Texas to meet up with the rest of her family. She was very appreciative of the fact that we let her stay with us until she could get to her family. She even went as far as to give my parents a card for their anniversary & to thank them for their hospitality.

On the other hand P (my roommate) wasn't as appreciative. Everything was fine in the beginning. She didn't want to go home so we told her she could stay with us as long as she wanted. We didn't ask for anything from her. I helped get her a job & we even had family friends offering her clothes. It all started to go down hill once I realized she didn't care for my mommy. You cannot come into my house & be disrespectful to my family. P didn't want to ride to New Orleans in October with us because my mom was coming. Strike #1

I knew I was going back to New Orleans once school reopened; she wasn't. We both knew our lease was still good until Aug 2006. P & I made an agreement that if I found a new roommate from Jan 2006 until the end of the lease, she would continue to pay until Dec 2005. She said it to my face as well as my parents that she would not leave me in a bind & that we could trust her. That changed once she went back home to visit & all of a sudden found family members that cared about her.  Now she wanted to discuss things with relatives & lawyers & wanted copies of the lease. She called my sister & told her she wasn't responsible for paying for anything since she no longer lived in New Orleans. P did not hold her end of the deal. Strike #2

A person that I accepted and befriended 2 years before despite her religious views & sexual preference. I overlooked that & made her a friend, only to have her stab me in the back. To this day my family has not received ANY form of thank you from her. Strike #3 We were all hurt by what she did to us after we made her a part of the family. (And she still owes me $410! YOU'RE OUT!)

3) BUT good friends do exist. Elijah & I weren't on speaking terms at the moment, but he didn't let some dumb fight stop him from calling & telling me to please get out of New Orleans. All of the calls, texts, prayers, & concerns I got from family & friends all over the country helped me to know that people do care.

4) Without my family there would be no me. My parents did not have to let me come back home, but they did. My sister did not have to let me borrow her clothes, but she did. My brother (& the rest of the family) did not have to pray for me, but he did. My sister-n-law did not have to answer the phone & listen to my cries about how P hurt me & why me, but she did. 

FEMA contacted me saying they wanted all of the money they gave me back because New Orleans was not my primary residence when in fact it was. I had to let them know that was my only place of residence. I no longer lived with my parents. They did not have to let me stay with them for those 4 months, but because I am their daughter & they love me, they welcomed me into their house. I am thankful for everything my family did for me during that time. No words can express how grateful I am for the family I was born into.

5) Make-up school is NOT fun. To help us catch up at Xavier, we did THREE semesters in ONE year. Three FULL semesters. Not 2 & summer school sessions. THREE SEMESTERS!


6) Enjoy life while you're still on earth & have a chance. My first 2 years at Xavier I wanted to LEAVE! I wanted to transfer & get the hell out of New Orleans. While at GSU, I was ready to go back to New Orleans & my school. I didn't know what I was missing until I was gone. Before Katrina, I did not allow myself to venture out much. I didn't get to know the history of the city, experience its culture or enjoy the kind spirits of the people. Once I allowed myself to do that after Katrina, N.O. became my second home. That city and its people hold a special place n my heart. I'm glad I was able to open my eyes and see New Orleans as more than the murder capital. (And I suggest you do too.)

Live.Love.Laugh.Sing.Dance.