Mississippi Experiences 2

Dear Family and Friends,
Day two in the region devastated by Katrina's wrath brought new images which left a powerful impression on me. I headed out to Waveland Elementary to finally meet the Principal, Dr. Becky Ladner, and supervise the delivery of the equipment and the engineered wood fiber surfacing. So many challenges exist for the people in this region, one of them being that most buildings do not have traditional entrances. So figuring out where to go in, can be tricky. That was the case when I arrived at Waveland Elementary. Eventually I ignored the "school personnel only" sign and walked through the makeshift cafeteria to ask where to find the Principal's office. It was apparent that most everyone I encountered knew that I was building a playground for the school. Becky Ladner, the teachers and support staff could not have been more warm and inviting to me. Given the struggle they have endured for the last 4 months, I was really surprised by their positive attitudes. Once we finalized the site and had the equipment off loaded, Dr. Ladner took me to the makeshift cafeteria for a chili dog lunch. The poster of the playground I had sent last month hung on the wall so the students could look at it while they ate their lunch. Classes were extremely small and I was very impressed by how well behaved they were. After lunch, we drove down to the beach in Waveland. Regardless of where you are here you see signs of devastation, but starting about a mile from the beach, the scene switched from devastated to decimated. Literally, not one recognizable structure could be seen. For block after block after block, I could stand in one spot, pivot 360 degrees and not see anything that resembled a home, a building, nothing, nothing but rubble. Among the rubble an amazing number of lots displayed the American flag; sometimes tattered, tacked to a tree, nailed to a plywood board once intended to protect the windows of a home, all kinds of innovative ways to give the statement that this symbol gave them strength no matter how impacted they were. We drove through the streets and I was rendered speechless, numb, shocked, totally unprepared for the level of devastation. I frequently heard before I came down here "You can't imagine how bad it is unless you can see it". Photographs, newspapers, 3 minute news stories, do not do it justice. Some of the snapshots that haunt my mind are; a blanket that once gave warmth and comfort hangs in tatters 20 feet in a tree, half of a headboard sticks up out of the rubble, a once beautiful Corvette smashed down like cardboard, lots strewn with debris, rubble, brightly colored pieces of plastic which were once a child's playset...shredded, and a lifetime of memories all in tatters. Despite the fact that I had just met Dr. Ladner and had some irrational desire to maintain my composure, I broke down and cried several times. It is beyond painful to see. Not even the violent destruction of the Pentagon or hole in the ground of the World Trade Center in New York prepared me for what I saw. These are the personal lives of families, mom's like me, children, pets, memories, all gone. Among the wreckage, sat the now famous FEMA trailers and an occasional tent or Quonset hut. One lot that had been mostly cleared by comparison, had a small maybe 20 foot trailer, a white picket fence, and a little red barn. It was the prettiest thing and made me laugh through the tears! As we drove back towards the school along Nicholson Ave. there was this one house that stood out like a sore thumb. It did not appear to have a scratch on it. The lawn was lush, manicured, free of debris or the chaos that surrounded it on all sides. It made me wonder how they had managed to either survive or recover, when so many have not. As we moved North where many houses survived but had significant water or roof damage, I noted the spray painted house numbers or frequent warnings "Looters BEWARE I have a gun and will SHOOT" right on their siding, brick front, or slab. Multiple variations of this message exist on every block. Teachers told me of the chaos that reigned in the days that followed the hurricane and that many of them were afraid in Waveland for the first time in their lives. Order was not restored for nearly 5 days when the National Guard came in. Everybody in Waveland can tell you the amazing survival story (covered by The Weather Channel) of the police and fire department personnel who spent 12 hours clinging to trees as their station, cars, trucks and ambulances were washed away before their eyes. Brian, a neighbor whose yard backs up to Waveland Elementary, told me about how his family crawled up to the attic of their one story ranch home as the water rushed in. He and his family got their 40 foot FEMA trailer the day after Thanksgiving and lived in their house without electricity or running water for the previous 3 months. Despite all he has lost, and the hardship he and his family has been through, Brian still walks toward you with a ready smile and hand outstretched in welcome. His dark skin, black hair and bright green eyes reflect his Cajun heritage before he even tells you. His little Chihuahua, Shadow was in the attic with them for nearly a day before they were able to climb down again to survey the wreckage the storm had left in their home. Shadow won our hearts with his sweet playfulness and spirit of survival. He was given the title of "playground guard dog"! :-)
Brian is typical of the people I met in Waveland. Everyone has a story to tell, everyone lives in hardship, everyone knows that for the indefinite future, even the best days are worse than anything they knew before August, 29, 2005. Despite all of this, their Southern charm shines through and they welcome everybody with warmth and grace. They have unknowingly touched my soul and forever linked me to their tiny town.
Rhonda Honegger
Operation Colonial Friends Coordinator
colonialfriends@cox.net

"Children Helping Children"