First, I know its a cheesy title. But I can't help it -- these were definitely the themes of the day.
For instance, John and I encountered the girl who made the below video while continuing the boom-making effort at the Ritz.
Karol Escobar struck us as a kindred spirit -- someone horrified by the oil fiasco's implications and seeking out creative ways to help. Filming a reality show brought her to New Orleans, but she also came prepared to help with a bag of hair that she'd just shaved off her own head. We met her as she spent her free time filming for a documentary to promote Matter of Trust and the boom-making process.
We had a colorful encounter: a buzzed-headed film student videotaping a tall bearded dude and a short girl in a floral dress stuffing human hair into pantyhose.
As John and I prepare to leave New Orleans to visit family in Georgia, this last experience seems indicative of our whole stay here. The city is infused with a "do what you can to make it right" spirit that has to be born out of Katrina. Even as oil washed up in the local marshes today, crawfish boiled, jazz bands boomed, and volunteers did what they could.
I'm excited to see what ways Rene and the other awesome folks down here find to make this place a little less oily. Hopefully we can continue to do our part from the road, especially to sort out the fact from the fiction as the disaster unfolds and keep telling the stories of those who are taking the gulf's future into their own hands.
--Jamie
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