I Got New Orleans On My Mind

New Orleans, I think about you often. I miss you, I love you, I cry for you, I dream about you and I have nightmares about you sometimes too. I cherish the year you welcomed me as a guest. You took care of me, you fed me, you found me a place to stay (a wonderful abandoned Buddhist Monk temple in The East (thank you Au and Long)), you kept an eye on me and you opened your heart to me. The crimes that this country's government have committed against you, our nation will never truly understand or even know have occurred. I have never seen such strength and resiliency before in my life, New Orleans, you got some tough cookies; you got a heart that cannot be matched. I was blown away by the power and fight that I witnessed in your heart and soul as you fought back after She roared through. Most times it was just too much for me to handle, and I never told you this before but after I finished taking a photograph I would get back into my car and I would burst into tears and drive around sobbing to myself. The only way I could process it all was to just let it all out. At times that year I didn't think I could continue the work, but those thoughts only lasted minutes, because I found inspiration in you. I looked to you and saw how deep you had dug into your self and you always somehow found whatever ounce or drop of strength and courage that was left after all this and you kept fighting, you never stopped. And you won't. I know you will continue to fight, and its going to be a long battle, things may seem to only get worse and worse, but it will better soon, it will. You are my hero New Orleans. I miss you. I think about you everyday.

-Aug 29, 2nd Year Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina