A Trip to the Real World

I went to Mobile today to get a caramel frappuccino and some books. It was a nice escape from the destruction of Hurricane Katrina that surrounds me in Coastal Mississippi. It was nice to see trees that weren't leaning at angles ranging from 15 degrees to 90 degrees. It was nice to see trees that weren't sawed in half or uprooted by the winds. It was nice to see roads that weren't lined with piles of debris. It was nice to see roofs that weren't covered with blue tarps. It was nice to see businesses that didn't have 45 minute checkout lines. It was nice to be able to browse and sit awhile in stores that didn't have the smell of mildew, mold, paint, or new sheetrock. It was nice to see traffic lights that worked at every corner. It was nice to know that no matter which direction I went in Mobile, I wouldn't be confronted with road closures due to bridges being out or major highways being washed away in places. It was nice to see roads unlined with signs from contractors offering their roofing services.

A trip to the real world was nice and I had an enjoyable time. But leaving Mobile, and heading back west, the destruction crept up on me slowly and brought me back to my surreal world, where the pine trees no longer have green fronds but red ones. Where the majority of roofs are blue from the tarps. Where businesses are trying to operate with roofs damaged. But it's home and I believe that we'll soon rebuild. Even now I can hear the sounds of hammers as siding is being put onto a home It's just seems so daunting at times.