Wednesday, September 07, 2005

IN THE MIDST OF TRAGEDY THERE IS TRIUMPH

Just out of curiosity I researched the name Katrina and what I found was a little scary. The name Katrina means: one of purity, beloved. As we all have been watching and reading about the loss and devastation that Katrina has left behind, she is anything but pure and beloved. The story I am going to tell makes me stop and think that maybe we should all at least try to find the good in a bad situation instead of constantly focusing on the negative.

During lunch at work we were all watching news coverage after Katrina hit and my friend informed us that her grandmother and aunt live in New Orleans . I could instantly see the fear in her eyes. A couple of days later she and I were on a break she told me no one has called with any news. I tried to reassure her that no news is good news and that it is really difficult to get to phone at the moment. I guess what was really freaking her out was not knowing and that her grandmother is confined to a wheelchair and needs her daughter to take care of her. As friends do, I told her if there is anything can do please let me know. I knew there was nothing I could really do.

I came back to work from the long weekend and asked her if there was any news and she told me that she got word that the Red Cross was going to fly both her grandmother and aunt to Las Vegas.
I was very happy to hear the news. I asked her how that happened. She told me that her mother knows someone who works at the Red Cross. So through connections and networking these people are coming to Vegas to be with their family.

It made me think of the phrase: it doesn't matter what but who you know. Often times we hear that phrase used in a negative context. In my friend's case who her mother knew was used for a good thing. I also thought that in the face of tragedy we as Americans can unite. That is one of the things that makes this country what it is.

5 comments:

Mary Alice said...

Marie,

I just read your entries. Good job and keep on bloging. Southernspeak4’s comments are somewhat right on. Unfortunately not all judges are that competent. Politicians only take notice of situations when they are forced to because the political game it allows them to do so. I have been lucky enough to witness the Chicago political game first hand and I am utterly unimpressed. In two short years I’m going to Washington for the summer as an intern. Hopefully, I will be able to really get into things there as well. I’m choosing to participate in all this political crap because I want to change things on so many levels. If I’m able to change just one thing in our system I will die a very happy woman. You’re right in life it helps to know the right people. It’s ok that not everyone is as articulate or “literate” as others. We all are different and have different strengths. Just because someone is a “bad” writer does not mean that they are dumb. Who knows, that very same “dumb” person might have other strengths. I do not believe your comment was meant to demean others. I just wanted to make that point. Sorry my blog is not up yet but I’m really busy. This summer was nuts! Between traveling, knee surgery, summer school, getting ready to move, and shopping with the interior decorators things have been nuts. Sadly, school has started and now I’m once again bogged down with class work. I will probably start writing on Christmas break. I’ll defiantly keep reading your blog and Austen’s. Hopefully I’ll have time to comment on both.

Mary Alice

Mary Alice said...

Oh ya checkout my comment on Austen’s “Plan Truth” and the Katrina entry.

Mary Alice

Marie said...

Mary Alice, thanks for the comments. I was a little insecure about starting the blog for fear that no one would read it. I am glad to hear that you are keeping busy.

I have been a little busy myself, I just finished editing my niece Brittany's poems for a book her mother is writing in her memory. Reading and editing thoes poems has inspired me even more to pursue writing even if it is only on a part time basis. I am currently working on another project. I only have the beginning and the end finished.

I read Austen's latest entry and some of the responses were a little scary. I had made the coment that SOME rich and powerful behave badly because they can. I guess someone did not read the comment carefully before responding to it. That is where my illiterate remark stemmed from. I am not in the business of putting other people down. I don't like to be misquoted or misunderstood either. Please take care and keep yourself busy Talk to you soon.

Anonymous said...

Hi ladies,

Just have a moment tonight to look around, haven't had much this week! Thanks for your nod, MA, and it has been awhile since I've been in that game and I was, after all, only a student, so a complete understanding of the flaws of the system are not mine to be had.:)

Marie, I know what you mean about some not reading carefully, but most of the time, I think it's the way I put something and oftentimes, it is in my case, lol. I tend to type fast and go, I type 98 wpm and usually don't proofread, save that for my work and depend heavily on spellchecker...whups!

Well, Sunday nights I usually have a little time to look around, so I thought I'd drop by the people's blogs that I enjoy reading, keep on, keeping on.:)

And Marie, for what it's worth, I don't find your entries too intense, I find them thought-provoking....and I see your humor.:) And I knew what you meant and caught the "some"...I just think people are hypersensitive right now with all the dissing that goes on...and I do think Summer has a point when she says that some see this "book club" as a sort of strange competition at times, I don't get it. We don't have to agree about everything or even like each other, but we don't have to diss each other either.:)

Shrugs...have a good night!

Javier said...

"katrina" Is A Normal Name Like Any Other. I Know Some Girl Name Katrina And She's A Nice Girl, She's A Clerk. So She Wears A Little Plate With Her Name. So Every Customer Who Go There See Her Name And Start Talking About The Hurricane. Her Co-workers Make Fun Of Her. I Just Feel Bad For Her.