rajncajn Posted August 29, 2007 Share Posted August 29, 2007 (edited) The people of the Gulf Coasts world literally turned upside down. The Kindness of Strangers...this is dedicated to people like you. Who are these people?A tribute to the people of South Mississippi who have endured and triumphed By STAN TINER tiner@sunherald.com Who are these people, these South Mississippians? I have seen them in the crucible of their great loss, pain and suffering and I can bear witness to their dignity, strength and resolve. They are the heirs of Camille, and the survivors of Katrina, so the straightness of their spines comes from the legacy of standing up again and again from all the mean seasons of time on these shores. I would say they are stoic, yet there is a warmth of humanity that breaks through the mask of that façade. Their faces are streaked with the trails of many tears, and their smile lines are evidence of their humor, even in the hard times. "Resilient" is the word spoken most of them, yet it has been devalued in the lengthening months since Katrina, as it simply does not do justice to them. Of course they are resilient, but there is not enough power in that word to honor their example On that awful day they saw their world destroyed; their homes, the artifacts of time and family and so many of their treasures were lost. But the day did not claim their spirit, which has shone like a lighthouse beacon for all to see. It broke my heart to see it then, but from that day I have seen a comeback that is the stuff of legend. They are an army of one, united by the common ground of their loss. They are the old breed, those of a certain age who have done this before and who are doing it again with all the creakiness of age and infirmity, and they have passed along the torch to the new breed in whose DNA the capacity for survival is so exceptional. Oh, the young, grown quickly older, showing mettle that stirs their elders with so much pride and belief in the future. Almost all of those who could come home after the hurricane have done so, almost all of the rest will do so when the roadblocks have been flattened and when the housing is built. Coming home to what, you may ask? To the world they are building and the dreams they are staking in the new world that stretches from the most western boundary of Hancock County to the eastern reaches of Jackson County and on every inch between on Mississippi's Coast. These are grateful people, whose memories of debts owed and thanks given go from that August to this one. They will never, ever forget those who came and helped, including the thousands who remain and toil daily in their cause. The true stories of their bravery and nobility are little known, and perhaps never will be known, because they number in the thousands, and in the march of time and circumstance they are lost in the pace of American life, with its fast-food appetites and attraction to news of the rich and famous. It may just be they will never be known to the larger world, but they will live forever in the generations who flow from their mighty bloodline. For them that may be all that matters, for they are a humble, hardworking, fun-loving and purposeful people, to whom fame or glory means little. Yet they deserve both, and to these people I offer the tribute of these meager words, for I am in awe of them - these South Mississippians - my friends and neighbors, and my heroes. Edited August 29, 2007 by rajncajn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isleseeya Posted August 29, 2007 Share Posted August 29, 2007 Was one of the most difficult times in our countries history ..pray for those that were affected that day and still effected today There was a great outpouring of love and selflessness however aftewards as well as fortitude which we should be proud of Still I hate to say it , not enough has been done by govt ...some homes and areas in the region which were runied , still stand and nothing done in the 2 years For the people however who endured and persevered , I say God Bless Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rajncajn Posted August 29, 2007 Author Share Posted August 29, 2007 We went to New Orleans this past weekend for the first time since Katrina and even before we saw the detestation still there in East New Orleans you could see the effects in the lack of traffic. On a Saturday morning it was amazing seeing the French Quarter a virtual ghost town by comparison and I didn't realize there is so much still not open down there. On the Mississippi Gulf Coast there is an excuse because everything was completely wiped out & needs to be rebuilt...but in the Quarter, so it seems, everything is still there but the people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Czarina Posted August 29, 2007 Share Posted August 29, 2007 There was a story on the news locally here (New England) about how the tourism industry is just not bouncing back even after all this time. Down something like 80%. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage Beatings Posted August 29, 2007 Share Posted August 29, 2007 Hope the rebuild continues to go well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rajncajn Posted August 29, 2007 Author Share Posted August 29, 2007 Hope the rebuild continues to go well. Slow...but it does continue... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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