In a city defined by its geographic location to water, New Orleans has become quite unique in my mind by its inherent fear and indifference to its bodies of water. Bounded by the Muddy Mississippi and Lake Ponchatrain, New Orleans has grown and flourished on the traffic generated by its bustling port, but living in this city has taught me that though the city relies on the water, it would much rather pretend that it wasn’t there. Part of the reason for this could be the past treacheries of flooding by the Mississippi and Ponchatrain, and part of it could be that for the common citizen of this city, if the water is out of sight, then it is also out of mind.
Being basically sea-locked from the rest of the country has also created a unique citizen. New Orleans boasts not only some of the most open minded southerner, but also some of the least practical. It is hard to believe that many people would build on slabs in a city that has a famous history of flooding or that people would knowingly cause structural damage to the levees that protect them from flooding by planting trees on them. The city seems quick to forgive the raging waters just on the other side of the barrier. The constant threat of mass destruction has also shaped the citizens of the Big Easy to truly live up to that nickname. Nonchalant and apathetic to most things which would send a New Yorker into a frenzy of gesticulation and cursing, the natives of this city seem to carry on daily activities with a loftiness which is truly enviable. Though the waters rage on the other side of the levees while the people blissfully remain in denial of their danger, a sense of awareness and acute preparation for disaster seems also to permeate the air. Perhaps this is due to the propinquity of the Katrina disaster, but I feel there is something else in the air that constantly reminds people of the water.
I wake up in the morning bright and early to go running before studio. It seems like it would be the only time of day in which the heat of this bowl would not affect my performance. Typically, I am used to running in the mornings or evenings to avoid of overwhelming heat of the day, but here there is another weather condition which directly affects every citizen of this city in a way which is distinct to areas such as Brazil and Costa Rica. This “something in the air” is the almost suffocating humidity of this city.
Whether it be my early morning runs, afternoon bike rides, or evening strolls, the soupy texture of the air is almost choking and surrounds every aspect of the day. Even when not outside, the moisture seems to cling to the skin making one feel clammy and greasy all day. Transportation not in an automobile has been likened more to swimming than walking. The water in this city seems not only to surround the city geographically, but also literally. The city is both under the water table, and in it. It is this fact, both in its explicit callousness, and in its implicit character as a subtle reminder, that have dramatically affected my personal experience in this city… and the number of showers I take a day…
1 comment:
Andrew,
You’ve brought up many interesting points of discussion. I enjoy the way you’ve identified humidity as a major influence on your personal experience. I also think you are onto something when you state that New Orleans is not only surrounded by water horizontally, but also vertically. This is a nice way of thinking in section.
Some things to consider:
Are you sure that the city would rather pretend the water wasn’t there? I think you’ve hit on a common theme that many of your classmates are writing about, but I question if this is so. I think this would be an excellent investigation for you to go further with by interviewing New Orleanians to find out about their actual attitude toward the river and water.
On one hand, you state that it seems that the water is “out of sight, out of mind,” but later say that there is ‘something in the air that constantly reminds people of water (humidity).” In a way, this sounds contradictory. Again, I think talking to locals will help clarify, or at least help you to distinguish what is YOUR opinion or experience, vs. what you feel comfortable stating as the experience of the average New Orleanian.
When you speak about “past treacheries,” you might consider thinking about how these past events have influenced people’s daily lives and their perceptions, identity, etc. This brings up an interesting point that relates to memory. For example, most New Orleanians keep an axe in their attic. Why? Because they learned during Hurricane Betsy in the 1960’s that you might get stuck up there with no way out. I bet you could find out many interesting things by talking to people about these ideas.
By “city,” do you refer to the people or the urban plan?
Some of your word choices seem a bit off: “loftiness” for example connotes snootiness or arrogance. This doesn’t seem to fit with the point you’re trying to make. “explicit callousness” = ??? not sure what this means.
You might consider some rephrasing to make things more concise: For example: “Walking can be likened to swimming due to the moisture that clings to the skin and makes one feel clammy and sticky all day.” rather than “Even when not outside, the moisture seems to cling to the skin making one feel clammy and greasy all day. Transportation not in an automobile has been likened more to swimming than walking,” etc.”
Thank you for writing this piece.
Liz
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