blogging Hurricane Ike (part XIV)

I need to get focused. I'm losing things: first the phone; then a set of eye glasses; then the charger to the temporary phone. I ran a red light because I have become so accustomed to stopping at an intersection with a blinking red light (or no working lights), making sure it's clear and then going on. I saw a red light, made sure it was clear and then proceeded forward. Oops! It was a working light.

I’m tired. Tonight I really needed to fold laundry that I did prior to Ike but didn’t get around to it. I have laundry that needs to be done but don’t feel like doing it. I need to clean up the garage sale room guest bedroom because I might have powerless friends come and stay with me. I need to get back into a routine…maybe it will be a new routine. (I actually found a Starbucks that was open this morning!)

I really need to catch up on blogs. I feel so disconnected from people. One that I did check was David Dust and his post almost started a flood of tears. It brings back memories from three years ago. You see…

When New Orleans was slammed by Hurricane Katrina, Houston opened its doors and provided shelter and food to the refugees evacuees. And yes, there were those who feel like they wore out their welcome but I remember a song from Catholic school days and part of the lyrics are, “Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto me…”

A few weeks later, Hurricane Rita looked like it was heading for Houston and what should have been a 4.5 hour drive to Ft. Worth took 27 hours. As it turned out, the storm turned and went for the Texas/Louisiana border and wiped out cities on both sides of the border.

On the way back from Ft. Worth, I saw a sign just outside of Hempstead that said, “God bless Houston.” When Neil Diamond came to the Bayou City for a concert, he greeted the audience by saying, “Houston, the city with a heart.”

And while Houston didn’t suffer the blow from Ike like Galveston Island or Bolivar Peninsula, there are many people in the 4th largest U.S. city who are trying to get by. So when I saw that David Dust said that Houston is hurting, he is correct. We’re getting by and making do and hopefully the bonds that have been established through this time of inconvenience will remain intact.

Texans are a rare breed. One of my favorite sayings is, “There are two types of people: Texans and those who wish they were Texans.” Another favorite is, “I may not have been born in Texas but I got here as soon as I could.”

Those of us in Houston, Galveston, Port Arthur, Beaumont and the surrounding areas will get through this. Our cowboy boots may be a bit wet and muddy from dealing with Ike but they’ll get dry and we’ll clean them up. Our big hair may be a bit tussled but we’ll find our teasing combs and Aqua Net Hairspray and get our coiffures back in place. And those whose facial enhancements are a bit askew due to the high winds, well a little nip/tuck can be had in the Texas Medical Center. And I know that in some bar in Montrose, a dj is playing Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive and a choir of bar patrons is singing along...it's just too bad Tina Turner didn't record the song!

I’ve always heard people talk about the new normal after a disaster or tragedy. I now understand.

EPILOGUE: I’m only going to do 1 or 2 more posts about Hurricane Ike. I hope to return to my normal-witty-self and post my str8 up with a twist point of view.