Undevastatedness and introductions

My first week as a volunteer has come and gone. It's been a good week. An interesting one but good one none the less. Expectations are a funny thing. You go into doing whatever with certain expectations. When those expectations are not met you have a couple of choices; remove yourself from you situation or adapt. I'm glad that I adapted. I honestly didn't know if this organization was for me. My greeting that first day was uneventful and then I was left alone to my own devices with little to no lay of the land.

Fortunately I met Ellen soon after I arrived. She had arrived a couple of hours before me and was sitting outside reading when I road up. We were both here on our own without the nuisance of traveling with a group of 18 - 24 year olds. (Not that there's anything wrong with them.) We hit it off from the start. Throw in the fact that she loves the Waffle House as much as I do, rides a motorcycle as well (no she didn't ride down to Biloxi like I did. She chickened out and flew. What! It's true and you know it) and is not afraid of hard work and we were destined to be friends.

If it wasn't for this woman this first week would literally have been hell. I believe we made it bearable for each other. We could unwind at the end of a really busy and laborious day with a beer at the Pub nearby home base and talk about people.

Yesterday I overheard Ellen give some of the best advice to a long term volunteer. (Sorry for eavesdropping Ellen). This one young woman was lamenting about being in this environment of redevelopment and flux and construction and such. Ellen, in her wisdom, told this young woman that she has get to periodically get out of this environment and go somewhere else that has been affected by Katrina (say it with me, the Beotch). A place were people aren't working to rebuild. A place where life is going on a normal without the reminder of the devastation that Katrina (that Beotch) wrought.

I thought about this some. I thought that so many of the other long term volunteers that have been doing this in Biloxi would really benefit from hearing the same thing. For so many this volunteering effort has become their life. Their existence. Some truly need to take a step back, a step away and step out into a world of "undevastatedness" for a little bit. Really good advice I think.

I took that to heart today, Sunday and went to the beach with Yvonne and just enjoyed the sun, surf and day without thinking about volunteering. It was a good day.

The sad news is that today was Ellen last day volunteering. She left early in the morning (heavy sign) and now I'm all alone. I'll see her again when I ride to Cary on my way back to NYC as she and her hubbie live not to far from the Pollocks (formerly of NY but not related to Jackson or apparently the fish by the same name.)

You guys unfortunately won't get a chance to meet this motorcycle riding, beer swilling, Waffle House loving, volunteer but you get a chance to see her. Her picture is attached. (Don't hate me Ellen I know you hate taking pictures as much as I do, but I couldn't resist.)

Please show her love as she's back at work now probably reading this and laughing her butt off. Hi Ellen. Guess what I had for breakfast today. Yep, WH. Miss you much. Wish you were here putting up with the madness with me. LOL.

That's it for now my little monkeys. Until next time.

Jenoy (read the first blog if you don't know what this means.)

- Wil