Like Katrina, our snowstorm was, first, a natural phenomenon; an unavoidable circumstance. But as soon as the action of the event subsides, the aftermath of such a natural disaster depends upon people, society and community. How efficiently can we work together to clean up the mess? How well can we use the resources we have? Who and what is prioritized? When 'disaster' strikes, we are forced to depend on each other. Although our day-to-day lives as we see them are individual, independent from the lives of others, only when we are left at the mercy of something beyond ourselves can we recognize the value of community.
As the city began to open up the roads, the rest of us went to work with shovels and bags of salt, slowly chipping away at the layers of snow it had taken mother nature mere hours to bestow upon us but would take us days to clear up.
I, personally, met neighbors I didn't know I had. I had to borrow a shovel from the house on the right and park my car in another neighbor's parking space while the driveway was cleared. These disasters have the potential of forging extraordinary communities because we are all somewhat powerless against the forces of nature unless we work together.
Perhaps this is where Hurricane Katrina truly became a tragedy; it revealed the gaping holes within our society. It shamelessly showed who was not willing to put their pride and ego aside to work for a greater good.
Bay Area writer, Rebecca Solnit's recent book, "A Paradise Build in Hell" explores precisely the phenomenon of disaster and the humanity that arises from moments of desperation. She writes, "Disaster, along with moments of social upheaval, is when the shackles of conventional belief and roles fall away and the possibilities open up." As we all were forced to surrender to the piles of snow falling outside, mother nature seemed to be teaching us to turn inwards and reflect; to realize how much we depend on each other and how we can spend our time strengthening rather than ignoring the communities that inherently form. Certainly, we may all be better able to connect to what Katrina really means for our world with this relatively quaint 'natural disaster' of our own.
For more information about Rebecca Solnit and her editorial page at The Nation Magazine:
http://www.thenation.com/directory/bios/rebecca_solnit
Another similarity: I saw on the news a black man protesting loudly that Baltimore City was treating the African-American city residents differently than the predominately higher class residents of Baltimore County. For example, county roads were cleared with millions of dollars worth of equipment within a week while the city hadn't been touched two weeks later. I thought that couldn't be possible, until I tried driving through the city for work. People were still unable to leave their homes nearly 2 weeks later due to blocked alleys and drives. It made me question whether or not we really have learned from Katrina? Was there really this difference between city/county: black/white: lower class/upper class with something so basic as clearing roads so people can move on with their lives?
ReplyDeleteOur trip to NYC to perform at Berkeley Carroll was quite an adventure, full of a whole slew of firsts for me. First time staying with a host family, first time taking a dance class and rehearsing in a city, first time eating real Thai food, first time performing on tour with the Unmoored crew (or touring at all for that matter), and it was my first real trip to New York City!
ReplyDeleteI have to say, I was a little apprehensive about staying with the host family, especially when I heard that I was going to be on my own. Knowing that I would be without the comfort of a familiar face in this mysterious, unknown location, several worries plagued me for the portions of the van ride I was conscious for. What if the daughter of the family was weird and didn’t talk to me? What if I was supposed to bring my own sheets? Or towels? But most worrisome of all, what if they didn’t feed me? I knew I wouldn’t have the courage to just ask to eat their food if I wasn’t offered first, but I also knew that I wouldn’t make it out alive without some sort of sustenance. This concern of mine was muffled after having devoured three slices of pizza, hoping that my extreme fullness would tide me over until the next morning when I could buy a bagel or perhaps a muffin. However, my food anxiety was completely silenced only minutes after walking into the old Victorian house that was to be my abode for the next three nights. The mother, Nancy, after the routine introductions, exclaimed, “You girls must be starving!” and presented me with roast chicken, baked potatoes, tossed salad and freshly sliced pineapple cubes, followed by Jewish chocolate Babka bread for dessert. Oh yes, that was another first, Babka bread. The rest of my stay with the Baranbaum’s consisted of being continuously offered food, and the occasional force feeding on my part; how could I say no to any sort of food when the possible lack of it had originally been my primary concern? Nancy even expressed to me her unexplainable desire of “just wanting to feed me”.
The next first I experienced was riding the subway to take a dance class in a studio in Manhattan. Now, because it seems as though our tour is haunted by unnaturally life-disrupting weather, it had inevitably snowed about a foot over night, making our trek to the little city studio rather unpleasant for those in boots lacking waterproof protection. Luckily for me, my wonderfully food-oriented and generous host family lent me rain boots, vastly lessening my suffering, but poor Raha and Gina feared for the well being of their toes. However, we made it to the class, toes intact, and after the two relaxing hours of movement we were all feeling much warmer and less hostile. From there we ventured a block or so to a beautiful studio where Sara and Patrik graciously provided us with yogurt and bagels, and we had a relaxing yet productive rehearsal before they set us loose on Manhattan.
Once our freedom was announced, we immediately set out to find food, and decided to eat at a promising Thai restaurant we stumbled upon. Our lunch included an abundance of great conversation and new experiences, including Thai iced tea, Pad something Eiu, and a successful consumption of a full meal with chopsticks, save a minor hand cramp.
Although our day off on Friday was wonderful, full of food and shopping, the real reason for visiting NYC was to perform, and on Saturday perform we did. We had a matinee and an evening performance at Berkeley Carroll, both of which went very well, besides a minor shoe flinging incident. I have to say that this first time performing on tour with the Unmoored cast was really a great experience. Working with the Berkeley Carroll students was unlike anything I had never done before (another first!), and the audience’s energy at the end of the shows when they joined the cast to dance was remarkable. I admit that I was sure that there would be no way any person was going to get out of their seat to dance, but their enthusiasm was a pleasant surprise!
ReplyDeleteOverall, my New York City adventure of firsts was very memorable. The whole weekend really made an impression on me and all the time spent out of the studio with the cast posed for some great bonding. I definitely got to know the girls who sat with me in the backseat of the van better, at least for the parts where we were all awake.