August 28, 2005

What Can I Say?

Like millions of other folks, I am glued to the TV watching Katrina buzzsaw her way towards New Orleans. I am in Galveston, having started my evacuation at 2:20 am this morning.

I have friends who, at least when I left, had decided to stay. I cannot reach any of them now. I can only hope that they decided to leave (in time), or that they will be taken care of in the next several days.

There is a Schrodinger's Cat quality to watching the spinning red ball: does the New Orleans that I know even exist right now, hours before landfall? Surely the buildings are there right now and the people who remained are fine right now. But in a sense, some of those buildings have already fallen and some of those people have already met tragedy. Indeterminacy tonight, determinacy tomorrow.

I am in a stunned fog: resigned not that my life will change in the morning, but that my life has already changed. Perhaps a little, perhaps a lot. But even if I have a relatively intact house to return to, there will be friends who don't, and there may be friends who aren't.

Commingled with my resignation is an optimism and resilience. Whatever happens, well, happens. Wherever my starting point happens to be tomorrow is just that: a starting point. Not without pain, not without tears, not without doubts. A fine place to take a step forward.

Yes, I am praying and hoping for miracle, a weakening, an Eastern deviation, and that may yet come. Do you believe in miracles? I do.

Take care all.

Posted by nopundit at August 28, 2005 11:14 PM
Comments

The Schrodinger's Cat observation reveals a remarkable insight at such a stressfull time. We are glad you are out and pray for those that are not as well as all affected by what is about to happen.

man i hate watching the stupid storm warnings during my tv shows( tornado possible at 7:33 here and then 7:42 here) but like you said life has just changed for a whole city huh.

Posted by: Lee at August 29, 2005 01:43 AM

Odd that no one in the media has cared to point out the obvious fact that at a time like this it would be really nice to have the Louisiana National Guard at full strength, rather than fighting an unnecessary "war" halfway around the world....

Posted by: Eric at August 29, 2005 02:39 AM

Just glad to hear you're out of there. Truly a mess. Glad we came down from NY and saw the "before" landscape.

Posted by: Jen Lewis at August 29, 2005 12:13 PM

Hi Jen!

I am safe, and it appears that I will have something (as opposed to nothing) to come back to.

Ken

Posted by: Kenneth Greenlee at August 29, 2005 12:47 PM