Comin' Around Again

In all the ways that I am very typically Irish, there is one “typical Irish” trait I do not seem to possess ... I do not seethe. Which is not to say that I don’t fume (or whatever similar word you’d plug in here) when I’m upset. I just don’t pout for hours on end. I don’t chew endlessly on my anger like a wad of gum. I don’t see the need. It’d serve no purpose, it’d take energy and honestly, dwelling on being angry doesn’t CHANGE whatever it is that angered you in the first place. I get mad, I allow myself to vent however necessary, and I recover.

I can honestly say that this lack of never-ending rage is true of all the disappointments and letdowns and double-crosses I’ve experienced in life thus far (and friends, trust me when I say that there have been some real doozies). However, like a lot of “rules”, there is an exception.

My “hot” button gets pushed with one topic – something I’ve tried (and failed) to chill out about for five years now. A discussion where I cannot see both sides, I cannot see the truth in opposing points of view, I cannot tolerate … and do not tolerate … those who pontificate and sermonize with answers now that they have had half a decade to research and study and learn about a situation that they were never in, never experienced for themselves, and never responded to in any way.

I’m referring to August 29th, 2005. The day that Hurricane Katrina made landfall. And I realize that I am guilty of being too close to this topic to discuss it without being biased. I accept that, and I agree that I am VERY biased about Katrina and what the Gulf Coast experienced.

It has been five years.

I still cannot think about that place, those people, their homes, the neighborhoods, and their history without getting emotional. The thing I’ve noticed is that I’m no longer angry about the topic, but I realize that I will always be passionate about it. I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I think that having passion for something … caring about something so deeply that discussing it moves you, brings you joy, makes you think, or just gives you pause for a moment for you to catch your breath or wipe your eyes … that kind of passion is what helps form us as individuals.

As the 29th looms closer and the various news and media outlets revisit Hurricane Katrina, I may or may not watch their shows or read their headlines, but I have my own story to recall and revisit. I do not seethe, but I will remember.