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