The most frustrating thing, of course, is that we’re getting it from both sides. The pessimism, I mean.
Many New Orleanians who’ve returned are still making dire predictions about repopulation and the restoration of basic services, despite the fact that both have progressed far more rapidly than officials had initially predicted. To these people–the nay-sayers and half-emptyers living within the city limits–I ask, “Why the hell did you move back? Why didn’t you just stay in Atlanta or Houston or Dallas or wherever your cousin or brother or aunt invited you to live ’till all this was over? If you’re not going to offer a solution or at least some constructive criticism, then please do us all a favor and politely get the fuck out.” Seriously, we’ve got a city to rebuild, and we’ve got no one leading us, and the last thing we need is a chorus of sniveling pantywaists whining, “It can’t be done!”
We’re getting the gloom-and-doom treatment from the outside, too–especially from the media. Case in point: a friend of mine runs an after-school arts program for at-risk youth, and she was recently contacted by a reporter from a national news outlet who’s writing a story on the current state of education and the arts in New Orleans. My friend has been completely on the ball the whole time, but apparently the reporter didn’t want to hear it. The interview went something like this:
Reporter: So, how do you feel about the fact that you’ve lost so many children to the storm?
My Friend: I beg your pardon?
R: Well, so many of the kids you serve are now scattered across the country, and you have no way to get in touch with them….
MF: Actually, we’ve had access to our files the whole time, so we’ve been in constant contact with our students by cell phone and email.
R: But surely there must be many who are still missing and presumed dead?
MF: No, we’ve reached all of them.
R: None dead at all?
MF: Um, no….
(Awkward pause)
R: Well, certainly you must lament the fact that your seriously underprivileged students have lost their arts training–the one thing that provides structure and joy to their otherwise depressing, dead-end lives?
MF: Fortunately, in nearly all cases we’ve found alternate programs for them in the cities and towns to which they evacuated.
R: Of course, you must be heartbroken to know that they’ll never be coming back.
MF: Actually, many have already begun to move back–especially those from the Westbank. Many lost homes in the storm, but we’ve spoken to their parents, and nearly all of them want to return as soon as possible.
R: But I spoke to another arts educator who said it would be years before New Orleans had enough children to make programs like yours viable!
MF: I don’t know who you’ve spoken to, but we’re planning to start offering classes again in January.
R: I see…. Well, thank you for your time. I’m so sorry for your many, many losses. I know your road to recovery will be a long and arduous one. The nation’s thoughts and prayers are with you. Godspeed! (Click) …Hello? Hello?
So Andy and Soledad and anyone else with a press pass who might be listening: enough already. If you Cassandras have nothing to report but tragedy and despair and woe, maybe you should shuffle off to Bangladesh or Myanmar or the Sudan where there’s more than enough to go around. Just leave us out of it.
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