As our title character begins her journey...mostly after many nights without sleep or sanity...or money, for that matter...to help with the devastation in South Mississippi.
She told me about the trip a few weeks ago. I was actually planning on meeting up with her, till real life kept getting in the way. Even now, I'm battling strepthroat. But now I'm her scribe.
At noon this afternoon, I got my first message:
Her: Well, I'm walkin in Memphis...
Me: Happy to hear that. You're about to have so much fun, and work. Revel in it.
Her: In traditional Tennessee fashion, I'll say 'thank ewe'
Being a resident of Tennessee for over 13 years, I'd never heard that. She does tend to kid about how Southern California is cosmopolitan and worldly and wonderful, while the South...has bugs.
But, as much as I tried to tell her what she was getting into, I never could impress her with what she was going to see. You can't feel the enormity until you are inside it. Her next message let me know...she felt it.
Her: I wish I could describe how devastated the area here is...And haven't even gotten to the worst part. I'd say about 70% of the trees are all snapped in half
Me: I can imagine. I can Google up some pics, put up the story tonight
Her: Wow...it's starting to get really bad. I will keep you posted.
Her: There are houses and sheds totally uprooted and thrown on tree tops
Me: Don't let is get you down. God is in control here. God is working in this place.
Her: It's hard to not let it get to you. I've never seen anything like this. These people are going to need help for years.
And so, that was her last words to me. I now know that she is in the place where some of my craziest college memories are now crushed, flat, trashed. She will go by places that were once cites.
And, all the while, she will be doing infinitely more that I, her scribe. For that, I am envious.
Posted by Macabee at December 1, 2005 11:19 PM | TrackBackShe's in our prayers.
A friend of mine had a house, a boat, and a new car in the garage in Gulfport. It's all gone, totally gone. My friend was lucky, she was hundreds of miles away when the storm hit, she still has her job and her losses were mostly replaceable "stuff".
Good luck to you, scribe.
Posted by: Captoe at December 2, 2005 09:01 AMThank you so much for taking over and keeping us posted.
Posted by: Dee at December 2, 2005 04:42 PMP.S. With the devastation at this level, I'm wondering why this has completely gone off the media radar.
Posted by: Dee at December 2, 2005 04:43 PMbecause it's much easier to blame FEMA and President Bush about being slow in NOLA.
too many Republicans and self-starters in dirt-poor Mississippi. too self-reliant a people. I miss Mississippi.
Posted by: MacStansbury at December 2, 2005 08:15 PM
