|
|
Currently no members online:)
You are an anonymous user. You can register for free by clicking here |
We have 18 guests online !
|
|
|
|
|
Feature: RIP |
Posted by
feralucce on Thursday, April 06, 2006 - 09:35 AM PST
It seems to me that Katrina did her job... Quite thoroughly I might add.
the city has been pretty well destroyed. not just physically, but its spirit has been pretty wlle mangled.
I know a man by the name of Timber Wulff... He's big, pldding, and slow. But inside that exterior lurks a genius. I met Timber over ten years ago. Right after I met Callei and SHade as a matter of fact. He and I left the big easy and got stranded here. Ane he managed to make it back . The Town almost killed his soul, and katrina almost killed his body. But in the midst of all that was going on, he tried to swim back to his home because he heard an all clear had been called. I admire him his bravery in this tragedy.
Timber and I ahve become closer since katrina hit than we ever were before. Because catrina was hell. I don;t know how many of you have ever smelled the stench of death... I am not talking a dead oppossum under your porsch or rotting meat, but teh smell of a human body decomposing. I don't know how many of you have seen someone die in horrific conditions... I have... I say this, not because I wish to talk down to anyone but to put things in perspective.
Because of Katrina, Timber and I now have another point of reference... Death in full force. Piles of bodies in the advanced stages of decomposition. Men, women and children weeping. It may seem melodramatic, but there was a great wailing and gnashing of teeth as the floor waters destroyed the community, the buildings and lives.
He's wept on the phone. He's been silent. And... he's been changed. The brilliant man, now has no naivetee left. And it saddens me.
Timber and I have another thing in common. We both read tarot. We've both done it, side by side, professionally on Jackson Square. For those of yo unfamiliar with New Orleans, jackson Square Is a beautiful place ... or was... just in front of St Louis Cathedral. Artists, Tarot readers, vendors, and street performers used it to make a living and keep part of New Orlean's soul alive.
Back in the day (over a decade ago), the Tarot readers were a fractious group. There were several "houses"(loose affiliations of readers) that were constantly bickering and squabbling ofer space and time. Each house would ahve their morning people stake out truf on the square just to ensure everyone could read and thus survive. then came a man named Gypsy. In under a year, he managed to vanquish teh disputes and petty rivalries and forge a unified house of readers, Aquarius. There was suddenly enough room for everyone. All could read, and all could thrive.
I personally feel that Gypsy was one manifestation of the city father, helping keep new orleans from dying. Gypsy and I had our differences..more than most, but he was important.Timber felt this as well.
Timber left his birth family with no sense of loss when he moved to new orleans. He found a brother in me. And a father in Gyspy... a mother in Gypsy's wife Karen. Timber and I had another connection... we were family.
And now...as of last week... we are connected more than ever. Gypsy went into the hospital for a routine operation (he's had kidney problems all his life). The operation was a complete success. But, as New Orleans is dying, it's soul, and its manifestations pass as well. Gypsy passed away in his sleep, due to complications from teh surgery.
Felix... Chicken Man... Is gone... Gypsy... Father to house Aquarius... is gone... Mouse... The gutterpunk drummer... is gone... Flipper... My brother... is gone...
I fear, too, that soon, New Orleans will e nothing but an empty shell a city without a soul...
I can only hope my fears are unfounded.
|
Note: Feral thank you for sharing this with us (me). We must remember those that the storm and the government killed. |
| |
|
|
Average Rating : 4.2
Total ratings : 6
|
|
|
|
|
|
RIP | Login/Create an account | 14 Comments |
| Comments are owned by the poster. We aren't responsible for their content. |
Re: RIP
by Schizo (Aranea@Spidersdance.com)
on Apr 06, 2006 - 05:56 PM
(User info | Send a Message)
http://
|
I love you Feral. My heart goes out to you and your city, your people.
I hope you can feel me holding you in my heart. I would in body too, if I could be there.
Damn...
|
Re: RIP
by Starlight on Apr 06, 2006 - 08:17 PM
(User info | Send a Message)
|
I hope you are able to find the strength inside you to get through this; the strength that I've seen in you just from knowing you through this place.
My thoughts are with you, and I'm sending you vibes to help you find your deep innner strength that you possess.
|
Re: RIP
by Monolycus on Apr 07, 2006 - 08:18 AM
(User info | Send a Message)
|
THE OPERATIVE: "Serenity Valley. You lost everything in that battle. Everything you had. Everything you were. How did you go on?"
MAL: "If you're still standin' there when that engine starts, you never will figure it out." (Mal presses the button to close the ramp and turns to walk inside) "What a whiner."
~Serenity, 2005.
I walked to work today and every tiny breeze caused more of the snow-white cherry blossoms to rain down on me. In Fallujah, the white that poured down on their heads came from burning phosphorous. Did my appreciation of the now diminish my horror and outrage of the then? Not a bit. Nobody is helped or hurt because I appreciated a moment of serenity. Nor does that moment change my resolve and the decisions I have made.
You're not broken, Feral. You're waking up. And if I can be brash, it's past time. The hurricane season of 2005 was a terrible thing, but so was the tsunami of 2004. And here we are at the threshold of another hurricane season while the problems that caused the US administration to facilitate so much death and suffering are still unresolved. Nobody even remotely qualified will accept the post as head of FEMA. There will be more people who will die as a result, and even more broken and suffering souls.
I'm sorry to hear that you lost family. I'm very sorry to hear it. But countless Afghanis, Iraqis, and citizens from all over the world have lost loved ones to the sociopathic ineptitude of this rogue government. And it will get much, much worse.
I'm sorry for your loss, but do not think you are broken before the floodgates have really opened. Winter is coming; now is not the time to go all helpless on us, Feral.
No man is an Iland, intire of itselfe; every man
is a peece of the Continent, a part of the maine;
if a Clod bee washed away by the Sea, Europe
is the lesse, as well as if a Promontorie were, as
well as if a Manor of thy friends or of thine
owne were; any mans death diminishes me,
because I am involved in Mankinde;
And therefore never send to know for whom
the bell tolls; It tolls for thee.
MEDITATION XVII
Devotions upon Emergent Occasions
John Donne
|
Re: RIP by feralucce (feralucce@wayoutonthecorner.com) on Apr 07, 2006 - 10:10 AM (User info | Send a Message) http://www.wayoutonthecorner.com/feralucce | *sighs* wanna know something... at this moment... I don't care... I did...I really did... THAT...is why I protest... THAT is why I rail and rant and rave about the government... I was there in 92... I was a soldier...doing my part for democracy... I woke up in iraq... The stench of death was there when I was stacking bodies ofr the fires...
After the initial brunt of the attacks.. the us air force was conducting public relations activities... we were in a humvee handing out chocolate bars... hersheys with almonds...
In many cases the children would bring back a trinket..since you don't give a gift without recieving one there... a ten year old boy came back out of his house with his hands behind his back. It was a WWII issue luger... he shot me... I fell out of the back of the humvee... I could only think one thing as I fell...
"If you don't like hersheys with almonds ... just say so."
the wind was knocked out of me... so I could say nothing as my unit and friends turned him into hamburger. At that moment... I awoke... I spend a majority of my free time, lobbyint, writing letters, organising petitions... and in two elections I am running for president because I want the shit to change...
And... While normally, I veel that everything should be done to stop the US from meddling where we don't belong, and that we should get our ducks in a row on foreign soil... for once... I demand that we turn ourt attention inward... because... trading one attrcoity for another is bullshit...
Now to the personal... at this moment... EVERYONE... save for two people... that I have every cared for in real time... i.e. have touched, talked to, hugged... the few people that moved me beyond what I am... are dead... fuck the rest of the world... i want to wallow in misery for once... |
[ No anonymous comments ]
[ No anonymous comments ]
Re: RIP by Monolycus on Apr 07, 2006 - 11:37 PM (User info | Send a Message) | Wallowing will do you for a spell. I've been known to do a bit of it from time to time myself. Appreciating the beautiful flowers is fine, too. They are now... they don't change anything.
I'm just cautioning you against making wallowing a full time occupation. Feeling like you're broken doesn't change the then. The only way to address the then is to never forget, and to make sure it never happens again.
I hope you've begun to realise how ineffective petitions, lobbying, letter-writing campaign and voting strategies have become in these dark times. This isn't a question of Republican/Democrat business as usual. This problem has roots in the core of our culture and will take generations to fix.
Take a time out to wallow if you need to, but the only thing that is going to walk you through this is resolve and camaraderie. |
[ No anonymous comments ]
Re: RIP
by Kira on Apr 07, 2006 - 10:22 AM
(User info | Send a Message)
http://www.livejournal.com/users/mod_complex/
|
Feral, I can't begin to claim to know anything even close to what you've been through. My heart broke and is still breaking over New Orleans. Even though I never lived there I loved the city, and had even applied to a couple jobs down there in the hopes of having an excuse to move there.
I hope things get better with time, for you and the city.
|
Re: RIP
by feralucce (feralucce@wayoutonthecorner.com)
on Apr 07, 2006 - 11:57 PM
(User info | Send a Message)
http://www.wayoutonthecorner.com/feralucce
|
It may be my current state of mind... but these two replys... seem to exude a superiority that falls just over the line of condescention... it also feels that you are minimilizing what I am going through...
let me ask you this... how do you propose we change it? plain and simple... HOW? shy of terrorism itself... I can think of no other way... save for the plan I have for my future... i am not bullshitting...I am running in 2012
|
Re: RIP by Schizo (Aranea@Spidersdance.com) on Apr 08, 2006 - 03:17 AM (User info | Send a Message) http:// | Feral, I will vote for you.
You would be less of a man if you felt less pain. But being the man I know you are, I know you will take this pain and reform and make something new with it.
I do not know if you can change the direction of a nation - although I see why you must try. But don't forget that you can change things - even the small things that you can change are significant. I think you know what I mean - not to limit yourself to the small but to value the small.
When the old dies, the new is born, if we allow it. Mourn fully for the old Feral, the old New Orleans...
Then turn and give birth to the new. |
[ No anonymous comments ]
[ No anonymous comments ]
Re: RIP by Monolycus on Apr 08, 2006 - 01:24 PM (User info | Send a Message) | "It may be my current state of mind... but these two replys... seem to exude a superiority that falls just over the line of condescention... it also feels that you are minimilizing what I am going through..."
Depends entirely on you. If this is keeping us posted with where you're at, then it's consolation with some advice thrown in. If this is a feel-sorry-for-me-because-I've-got-some anguish-going-on, then, yeah, you could say I'm trivialising. But if you're picking up condescendence then I'm going to have to say it's your state of mind talking.
"let me ask you this... how do you propose we change it? plain and simple... HOW? shy of terrorism itself... I can think of no other way... save for the plan I have for my future... i am not bullshitting...I am running in 2012"
I've already said many times that in order to change it, we have to effect change on a cultural level. Quite frankly, the culture embraces murderous values that increase death and suffering. That needs to be changed. Reactionary "quick fixes" to the problems we are faced with have given rise to the so-called Global War on Terror and channelled funds that could have been spent productively into meaningless "defense". The culture needs to be healed, not given a shot in the ass which will cause different problems to arise. This will take time and constant devotion.
Run in 2012 all you want. Diebold and Blackwell control the voting apparati... Nobody is getting elected that isn't approved by the sons of bitches who do these terrible things. Look, I believe you are a truly well-meaning person. But I think that everyone believes they are a force for goodness and light. Ineffectual or reactionary strategies are, to my mind, worse than no strategy at all as they have a nasty habit of invoking the Law of Unintended Consequences.
And at the end of the day, you are going to have to accept some degree of suffering and learn to cope with it. The only world without sin is a necropolis. Or a highly regimented fascist state. When you're suffering, it is not a good time to try to decide between the two.
|
[ No anonymous comments ]
[ No anonymous comments ]
|
|