Falling Asunder
by
These have been hard times. My in-laws continue to have employment issues, and they seem destined NOT to return to NOLA although they (and I) want it so badly. News of death and serious sickness hitting very close to my own employment has made the office a less than cheery place of late. On the home front, the projects afoot seem to be of the one-step-forward-two-steps-back variety.
And when I pull myself away from the still-sagging economy, my funereal office, my work-in-progress home and step out of my own little world, that DAMN OIL SPILL is still spewing and impacting further our lives here in Louisiana.
Yes, these have been hard times.
I struggle to sleep, to relax, to knit or cook. I’m not depressed or even anxious. Rather, there’s just a heaviness that is in the air now that has become a part of my current existence. It’s as if the terrible New Orleans’ heat is personifying itself and permeating into the corners of my life to give no relief.
In other words, it’s all lemons and little lemonade.
Thanks for sharing. Can’t imagine there is any way to naturally or artificially change the mood of these times. Please know that we are thinking of you and your family from a far. Remember it is the baby steps (holding your child just before she goes to bed, meeting with friends for a coffee, giving your colleague a birthday card, offering a day of your time to help clean up some park area) that you will remember long after the situation has gotten better. Keep standing tall.
Hang in there, Nola. Things will get better. I’ve learned over the years to say that as a mantra when I’m going through hard times. A few days ago BP capped the broken pipeline successfully. We don’t know whether it will last, but we can be relieved that for now the oil flow has stopped. I too have relatives and friends dealing with unemployment; I worry about them and wonder what I’d do in their places. There is other chaos in my life over which I have no control. I try to submit myself to the workings of the universe and remember the mantra: Things will get better. And we have people who love us, whom we love, who give us reasons for hope.
Your metaphor about the heat is apt. Just don’t forget that sooner or later, even in New Orleans, autumn arrives with a breath of fresh cool air.
.-= Sphinx Ink´s last blog ..Running of the Bulls in New Orleans! =-.
thanks for sharing your thoughts. if it helps, my in laws have been in a like position and as it turns out, not only are not coming back due to similar issues, but their health continues to decline rapidly and they are so far away. some days, the hot wet blanket of this city suffocates and other days the blanket is a banner to wave proudly to the rest of the world. just the simple act of you sharing your feelings can help alleviate the pressure on others. one day the blanket will dry out!