The house above is a house on my block that the following story is centered around.
So,
there aren't many white faces that I come upon in my neck of the woods. Yet, around certain hours of the day, a few houses down there is a sea of 'em that randomly appear and then vanish. Dondondon. Joe, my roommate, was at work and I had free time for take Miss Daisy for a walk.
Luckily the sea of white, smiling faces were busy at work at that house down the block and I decided to walk on over and say hello. Of course they noticed me before. And of course they noticed me walking up. You just don't really see Caucasians walking around those parts of the city. And more so with a dog. For pleasure.
So us I walk up to them, I already have about three of the girls attention. The others are coming in and out of the house working. Walking up with a nice smile and a friendly dog, I ask if they own the place or if they are with some organization. "Oh! Yes, we are with Common Ground!"
I was trying to contain my excitement, but I was really excited to see that the very same organization I had worked with some 4 and 1/2 years ago were still out there cleaning up. And still had good people coming into the city to do some good things. It was a team of about 10 or so. They have been working at the house for about a week and currently only gutting the place.
I asked about how I can help out and how to get that whole thing started. They guy, who may be a long term volunteer, seemed a little standoff-ish in his reply. Short and crisp. So I asked more questions. And the girls gave me the more detailed response I was searching for.
After telling them that they are doing a great job and "thanks", Daisy and I continued on our merry way again. I can't only imagine the thoughts that were going through those younger girls heads as I was approaching.
I know that when I was helping out a HUGE part of passion and interest was in connecting with the people of the areas in which we gutted and repaired houses. These people have a "front porch" culture that is represented in no other city in the states quite to the extremely beautiful degree that it is here. St Louis, Harlem (NYC), and Detroit all have it to some varying degree, but New Orleans is in a completely different league. So interaction wasn't hard to come by. People, back then, really loved what we (Common Ground) was doing within the community, so they liked us. And we loved them. It was a great relationship.
So I can only imagine what these girls were thinking as I walked up to them. A white, at least "middle-class" looking women, walking her dog in this area for pleasure. Did it make any sense to them? Those who haven't seen other white faces expect on those rare occasions such as these?
I haven't the slightest what they thought. If they thought that I was an original Nola resident that had returned to my home, or if they could see through my thinly painted veil? I know that I would have raised my eyebrows at myself back then. Well, maybe not so much with that cute little dog in tow. = )
Another thing that was pretty strange for me was the whole idea that I was living in an area where the group that I had come to volunteer with was working. And they were not only rebuilding, but only beginning the first steps of cleaning and gutting the house. It is strange because it is, once again, FIVE YEARS AFTER! (I get really angry at the fact that the area is still in such disorder and people are still hurting because of their situation.) Also because living there kind of bunches me in that subgroup of "returned" people- even if I am not one of them. Both of my roommates are two of the people who have come back or that have been around through it all. And most of the people who have come back to that area are also counted within that group. They either restored their house or moved into the area because the prices were affordable.
It just feels strange and weird to me when I see them look at me how they do. They look sort of confused. A little off ease sometimes. Curious.
But then also happy. And welcoming. And that feels good.
I really hope that I get out to work with them sometime next week. I don't know if it is the same organization that I remember or that I left. People have been telling me that they have had a lot of infighting within the organization concerning politics. It has lead me to wonder if they still have the same "good relations" within the community that they are trying to help. Or if they have become a burden. It seems that they are less "accepting" of people who really want to come and join them to clean up. But, maybe that is just me. I hope it is different once I find a way in to the group. If not, after today's amazing success with Habitat for Humanity, I'm not worried. I have a good-good place to go, if Common Ground doesn't need nor want my help.
We shall see.
We shall see.
Cheers, k.
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