Overwhelmed

I'm absolutely overwhelmed tonight for the people of my State.

I got into my truck tonight after closing the store I work at....I turned on the radio and got in on New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin's news conference tonight and was absolutely shocked.

I guess I had been out of the "loop" for several hours and didn't know what was going on....and I sure didn't expect to hear what was being said.

When I heard The Mayor say, "This is going to be the 'Mother of ALL Storms'...this storm will be worse than Katrina"....I just broke down and cried.

I was so grieved.

The news tonight has been grim and it's like a nightmare that won't go away.

Many of us.....are still in pain and didn't even realize it. I didn't....until tonight.
But the emotions are still there....and you start to relive the days you already lived three years ago.....and you start to review the images and the devastation of what happened to people that live not even an hour away from you. And people you know and people you love and those you don't. And believe me.....my family did not suffer like others did.

We lost power for 5 days...we had a bit of damage....we went through some drama.....but nothing like the suffering that many others went through during those days and the days afterwards....some are still suffering.

A thousand people killed......and devasation like we have never experienced especially in America. People stranded on Interstates, people on top of their rooftops, people and animals being rescued.....
And worst of all people acting like animals...murdering, raping, robbing, looting.

Everything that took place touched our city and rocked our lives in various ways.

Even to this day...we are still touched by these hurricanes and to think there is something WORSE coming....I just can't fathom it.

It's late and I should get to sleep...we have people coming to stay with us and we will all ride this out. But you can't sleep.

You watch and listen to the news over and over.....it's like 9/11.
You just can't grasp it and you keep watching....and thinking.....
"maybe their wrong." And "this can't be happening."
And you obsesse over dumb things.

Can you just imagine "watching" havoc and ruination coming right at you for 5 days.
We've known this thing was coming for that long......and can do nothing really but prepare the best we can.

It's like the people in California "knowing" there's an earthquake coming....it's going to be bad, it's going to cause major devastation...it may kill people..and it could get bigger possibly or it could be worse than what it already....while it's on it's way...yet, you don't know forsure where it's going to happen...but you have a bit of an ideal...and you don't know what time it will happen....but you have a bit of an ideal.

There are so many "what ifs."

At least we have time to prepare in some ways.....if you can really prepare. I mean you can physically somewhat and especially spiritually.....but emotionally......
It's still hard.

Thankfully many have had time and oppertunity to get out of harms way.

I feel especially bad for coastal Louisianians.
They have been through so much already with Katrina and Rita. And now this.
I guess that is a risk one takes when they live on the coast......but is there anywhere that is safe from disasters?

I don't think so.

We need mercy.