Mississippi Experiences 5

Day 5 brought some much needed rest to all of us. It was so nice to sleep in and not worry about all the playground details that have consumed my thoughts and time over the last few months. When we arrived at the Navy Lodge on the Seabee base on Saturday, I laid down on the bed and was fast asleep by 6:45! Sheer exhaustion! After a leisurely morning, we head out to drive down Beach Blvd and see what kind of shape things are past the coliseum. We stop for lunch at a packed restaurant where the service is very slow but we understand, that's expected. Many people who lost their homes in this region, moved to other areas, moved in with relatives who might not be close enough to their old jobs, thousands lost their cars and have no way to get to a job except for the skeleton city buses which now work overtime so employers are nearly all short staffed. That's just the way it is now. Venturing out onto Beach Blvd (Hwy 90) just past the coliseum sits Beauvior, the retirement home of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Hurricane Katrina tore right through Beauvior, ripping away the beautiful wrap around porch, and leaving the interior in shambles. Several buildings on the estate were destroyed and thousands of historical artifacts were lost. The destruction continues as we drive down Beach Blvd. Two more casino barges lay in shambles on the opposite side of the road. The Grand Casino barge is about a mile from it's ocean mooring and Casino Magic about a 1/2 mile, but the curious thing is that it broke loose and drifted between two hotels to land where it did. A couple of casino's have reopened and look somewhat odd sitting amongst all the destruction. It will be good for the recovery effort though. About 7 miles down we tire of shaking our head in amazement at the level of destruction that exists for mile after mile. Absolutely nothing has been left untouched. We take off in search of a book store. I recalled having seen a sign near I-10 for a Barnes & Noble. So we drive about 7 miles inland only to discover out of the dozens of shops that have reopened, that is not one of them. Keep in your mind and try to comprehend a swath of destruction 90 miles wide and 12-15 miles deep. Some pockets extend even further as Katrina made her way up through Northern Mississippi before releasing her hold on hurricane force winds. I have seen some bad things in my life but never anything that was so vast, so crippling, that had an impact on so many people. Instead of continuing our search for a bookstore, we decide to head down and check on the playground. I have been worried because there is nothing to stop the children in the neighborhood from playing on the structure and the concrete has to cure for 48 hours before the children can play. We arrive at the school to find 4 rambunctious boys having the time of their lives on the playground. I tell them they can't play on it yet, that the concrete has to set. Their polite "Yes Ma'am" makes me smile and I tell them they can come back tomorrow afternoon and play to their hearts content. One of the little boys about 9 years old, just covered in dirt from head to toe, with no shoes and the brightest blue eyes, looks up at the playground with total reverence and says "Are they going to build a playground like this at our school? We don't have anything at all. It got washed away in the storm." Oh how my heart breaks! "I know they're working on it Sweetie." I tell him. They run off and play with reckless abandon on the hill of wood fiber left from yesterday's installation. The overwhelming needs are never far from your consciousness here and the wants are on a realm of near impossibility. Still every bit helps.
We leave the playground near sunset and drive to Bay St Louis to meet with our old Navy friends, the Johnston's and Berdeguez's at Los Tres Amigo's. Business is brisk, the food is good but lukewarm, service is slow as expected, but it is really nice to visit with everybody and listen to their stories. Jon & Jill Johnston had 3 feet of water in their house and no flood insurance so they have undertaken their rebuilding effort on their own. Jim & Elizabeth Berdeguez had 5 feet of water in their house and did have flood insurance so they have been able to afford to bring in contractors to make the repairs. Jon & Jill have spent hours waiting at home stores, getting supplies and repairing a home they know they will eventually sell. Jim & Elizabeth have many tales of shoddy workmanship, days wasted waiting for contractors to show, and the list goes on. Both families have been deeply impacted by this storm and yet, they all show such resiliency, humor, & spirit. I really admire their determination. I truly enjoyed sharing the evening with our good friends and wish I could do this more often. I know that in the years to come, Jon & Jill will also retire to the Texas Hill Country and we will be able to have more frequent contact. I look forward to those days.
As we drive back to Gulfport, I think how the destruction has become the norm for me. I have been on the ground just 5 days and I can't say that I don't see it anymore but I can say that it no longer surprises me or shocks me to see things like just a roof, no house; a huge boat washed up in the front yard of a home; 12 foot piles of rubble laying curbside waiting to be hauled away. I now look at a store and say "Great! They opened up again." Little by little, it happens. Every day is a new day and all you can hope for is that it brings something better than the last.
Rhonda Honegger
Operation Colonial Friends Coordinator
colonialfriends@cox.net