After we received the topic for the blog post, I thought I immediately knew what I was going to write about. As I sat down to write, nothing came to mind that could sum up why I am New Orleans. Living here since my birth, there have been numerous occasions that I could refer back to and claim that they shaped me as a young New Orleanian. When it came down to putting all of these experiences and emotions into words, I just couldn’t do it. Of course, I could sit here and list the true, but extremely cheesy, experiences that have undoubtedly made me New Orleans. I could talk about Mardi Gras. Every New Orleanian could agree that your first Mardi Gras experience is a defining moment in developing your love and attachment to New Orleans. For me, this experience included my family’s crazy, multicolored, ladder-like contraption that ensured ultimate bead catching success, that toppled over one time due to uneven weigh distribution between my sister and me. If I wanted to stay away from the Mardi Gras experience reminiscing, I could easily talk about the tourists who pointed to every white house on St. Charles Avenue and exclaimed that they were sure that this one was the wedding cake house. Or I could recall the horrible experiences that happened on August 28th, 2005 and the many months after. I could recall how I lived in a four room apartment for months in an unfamiliar city, wondering when I could go back home. If I decided that writing about those months of confusion and displacement where too cliché to use, then I could write about the festivals that have unquestionably shaped and influenced my love for food and, more importantly, music. With each food festival comes hours of eating foods that I would never have tried in my own kitchen but now have a new appreciation for. With each music festival comes hours of listening to new bands perform various genres of music that slowly make an incredible impact on my Ipod. If I decided that my love of music and food could not express my experiences as a New Orleanian, I could talk about the crazy questions I get when I say the phrase, “I am from New Orleans.” These questions never bore me, as I answer each time with either, “No, I don’t live on a swamp,” “No, I don’t have a pet alligator,” or “No, the levee doesn’t break every time it rains hard”, and “No, I don’t live in the French Quarter.” If I decided that talking about the ridiculous stereotypes New Orleans has endured by outsiders, then I could simply talk about the atmosphere. I could talk about how the passionate and electric atmosphere that is prevalent on each street corner is overwhelming. If, finally, I decided that all the options above would not express why I am New Orleans, then I could talk about the universal (well, it’s universal in New Orleans) term “Who Dat.” I could talk about how this term has connected a city full of people after a time in 2005 that was full of uncertainty. I could talk about how a few dozen Saints gave this city hope and love.
As I sat down to write this, I decided that there was not solely one thing I could talk about to sum up why I am New Orleans. All I can say is this: I am New Orleans and a part of this Who Dat Nation because of all the above and more.
- Torre, age 16
It is the mission of young New Orleans Writing together to provide opportunities for young people in the Greater New Orleans area to write together on a diversity of topics.
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Monday, January 31, 2011
Brittany - I am New Orleans
I am New Orleans because of some unique qualities of my family. I live on the "westbank", the opposite side of the river from New Orleans. I live closer to the swamp than many of my friends. I grew up in a hunting family where we kill what we eat. I also am used to living on the water and using the resources around me. My dad owns an airboat swamp tour business. We offer tours to tourists and curious natives to explore the swamp and see some of the native wildlife. Because of what my family does it gives me a background that is different from my other peers. Not many of my friends can say they have swum with alligators. It helps me notice the environment around me and become more aware of the earth. This has given me a love for animals. I have had some very wild pets that include alligators, nutria, rabbits, raccoons and turtles. I have enjoyed these pets and we treat them as if they were a household dog. Also because we live in the south, New Orleans is an area subject to frequent hurricanes. My family has been lucky and has never been majorly affected by a hurricane. The past few years we have not had any major ones and have been very fortunate. When New Orleans is in the path of a hurricane, my family has many more responsibilities than the average home. We have around 4 buses, 10-15 boats, multiple alligators, including 2 albino ones, a raccoon plus my family Labrador retriever. When we have to evacuate it is always a challenge that requires many helping hands. These differences make me truly not able to fit in anywhere else in the country, I am truly New Orleans.
- Brittany, age 16
- Brittany, age 16
Holly - I am New Orleans
New Orleans is unlike any other place in the world. No matter where one goes they are welcomed with the southern hospitality that is quintessentially New Orleans. New Orleans is a city where thousands can unite whether to listen to their favorite artists at Jazz Fest and Voodoo or to cheer on their home teams throughout game season. Living in New Orleans means that wherever you find yourself, you will be surrounded by others who share the same love for the city as you.
New Orleanians are all about southern hospitality and brightening up someone else’s day regardless of whether or not you know them. When I think of the hundreds of times I’ve seen two people walking down the street greet each other or tell me hello, one man sticks out the most.
After Katrina, the route I took to school was full of abandoned houses whose owners had not yet been able to return to New Orleans. Although a majority of the homes were empty or damaged, there was one house that I could tell had been fixed since the storm and the owners were people who wanted to return to their normal lives. We drove past the quaint home every day for a few months, and finally once the house had been fixed, I witnessed one of the nicest acts of kindness I had ever seen. Every day at 7:15 in the morning, the owner of the home would sit on his front porch and wave to everyone who drove down his street. I had never known how much a simple hello could brighten up someone’s day until I saw that man waving to people he knew he would most likely never see again.
We drove past that house for two years, and like clockwork, every morning at 7:15 I would drive past the old man’s home and we would wave hello to each other. Due to construction, the street I would take past the man’s house has been closed, and I am no longer able to tell him hello. Even though I am currently unable to drive past this stranger’s home, I have promised myself that as soon as the construction is finished I will begin driving past his house and telling him hello like I used to.
New Orleanians have a natural tendency to be hospitable to everyone they encounter. Growing up in New Orleans has taught me that the smallest acts of kindness can make someone’s day. As the waving man brightened my morning commutes to school, I too hope that one day I can perform a memorable act of kindness for a complete stranger.
- Holly, age 16
New Orleanians are all about southern hospitality and brightening up someone else’s day regardless of whether or not you know them. When I think of the hundreds of times I’ve seen two people walking down the street greet each other or tell me hello, one man sticks out the most.
After Katrina, the route I took to school was full of abandoned houses whose owners had not yet been able to return to New Orleans. Although a majority of the homes were empty or damaged, there was one house that I could tell had been fixed since the storm and the owners were people who wanted to return to their normal lives. We drove past the quaint home every day for a few months, and finally once the house had been fixed, I witnessed one of the nicest acts of kindness I had ever seen. Every day at 7:15 in the morning, the owner of the home would sit on his front porch and wave to everyone who drove down his street. I had never known how much a simple hello could brighten up someone’s day until I saw that man waving to people he knew he would most likely never see again.
We drove past that house for two years, and like clockwork, every morning at 7:15 I would drive past the old man’s home and we would wave hello to each other. Due to construction, the street I would take past the man’s house has been closed, and I am no longer able to tell him hello. Even though I am currently unable to drive past this stranger’s home, I have promised myself that as soon as the construction is finished I will begin driving past his house and telling him hello like I used to.
New Orleanians have a natural tendency to be hospitable to everyone they encounter. Growing up in New Orleans has taught me that the smallest acts of kindness can make someone’s day. As the waving man brightened my morning commutes to school, I too hope that one day I can perform a memorable act of kindness for a complete stranger.
- Holly, age 16
Courtney - I am New Orleans
Walking into Mother’s restaurant on Poydras St., I was expecting to have a normal dinner with my parents. I walked up to the register to order my food, took the number, and went to find a table to sit down. After about ten minutes, my number was called, so I went to the pick-up window to get my order. When walking back to the table, I saw a family of four sitting at the table diagonally across from us. Thinking nothing of it, I sat down and started to eat, only to be interrupted by an obnoxious flash. When I looked up, that same family of four was taking pictures of their food and the Mardi Gras beads around their necks. Not only did they keep doing this, sending off a flash every five seconds, but at one point they asked “a real southern local” to take a picture of everyone together. This real southern local was me. When I put the camera up to my eye, they didn’t just smile normally; they then proceeded to lift the plates of jambalaya they were eating to their faces and say “Mother’s” on three. Living in a city as diverse as this one, I can only expect to see these types of tourists vacationing here. New Orleans is one of the most unique cities in America and I understand why people from all over fly down here to see the city for what it really is. Whenever I have a similar encounter to the one I had that night, I can only laugh about it, because living in an environment such as New Orleans, comes with the price of seeing crazy tourists wandering the streets at any given time of the year.
- Courtney, age 16
- Courtney, age 16
Grace - I am New Orleans
Walking down the street I hear jazz instruments and see an open instrument case for tips. I see carriages, and people dancing. I smell po boys, and seafood. Nowhere in the world is as special as New Orleans. Whenever somebody asks me where I’m from I feel so proud and cool to say that I’m from New Orleans. New Orleans has so much history and is such a special place, that it makes me feel like the coolest person in the world just to be able to say that I live in New Orleans. My favorite time of the year is Mardi Gras. One year I went out of town for Mardi Gras, and the celebration didn’t come close to comparing to Mardi Gras in New Orleans. All year long I count down the days until I can put on my purple, green, and gold and walk down to the parade route. All of the fabulous floats and drunken new Orleanians make the streets extremely crazy and fun. Swaying my arms in the air screaming “Hey mister throw me something,” and then when the big guys on the floats throw me a pack of beads it’s just so exciting and fun. I love New Orleans so much because there are so many different kinds of interesting people that live here. Football also makes New Orleans special. New Orleanians love the Saints so much, and support them through good or bad. When other cities win, they may be excited, but they don’t have nearly as much spirit and heart in their city as we do in New Orleans. People in New Orleans don’t cry when something bad happens, they cry out of joy when something good happens. We all went through Katrina, and the saints losing games, but nobody gives up on New Orleans because it is so special and unique. When the Saints won the super bowl, fifty percent of students skipped school, and went to the Saints parade. Only New Orleans would have a parade for their football team. The saints aren’t just a football team; they are all special people who bring the city of New Orleans so much joy. Even though the Saints didn’t make it to the super bowl this year, something I like to say is “there’s always last year!” New Orleans has shaped me and made me the person I am today. I love New Orleans so much, and there is no place that I would rather live than here.
- Grace, age 16
- Grace, age 16
Monday, January 24, 2011
Coming Soon!
Blog Phrase #1: “I am New Orleans” (Reflect on an isolated or series of memories that highlight your experience(s) as a young New Orleanian. How has New Orleans shaped you? How are you New Orleans?)
Submission Logistics: Submissions should be in response to the phrase topic. Poetry and prose, up to 500 words in length, should be emailed to youngneworleanswritingtogether@gmail.com as a Microsoft Word attachment. Emails should include author’s first name, age, and School.
Submissions can be sent to: youngneworleanswritingtogether@gmail.com
Submission due date: February 25th, 2011 @ 5pm
Submission Logistics: Submissions should be in response to the phrase topic. Poetry and prose, up to 500 words in length, should be emailed to youngneworleanswritingtogether@gmail.com as a Microsoft Word attachment. Emails should include author’s first name, age, and School.
Submissions can be sent to: youngneworleanswritingtogether@gmail.com
Submission due date: February 25th, 2011 @ 5pm