August 21, 2004

We've been back for a few hours

but I have a splitting headache and my back is just freaking killing me.
I will upload the pictures I did take later tonight or tomorrow.
I will say though that it's not pretty down there.
I guess you would have to see it for yourself to understand what it is like down there.
It's really fucking hot. I mean really fucking hot and they have no air and no water and no lights and the mosquitoes are fucking everywhere and I can just see a major health crisis very soon if they don't get the lights back on soon.
People have to leave all their doors open for what ever breeze may come by and there wasn't a single fucking one.
People lined up for hours for food and water and 6 houses on one street perfectly ok, meaning fixable, and one on that same street just leveled to the ground.
I feel guilty taking the pictures I did. I felt like a tourist snapping my little camera.
Some people didn't even speak english but they smiled just to have the water and the ice cold sodas and beer my sister packed.
I'm feeling overwhelmed emotionally. I can't even really explain it to you. I just feel like guilty for driving around in the air conditioned car and knowing that I was going to come home to lights and AC and a hot meal.
People were guarding their homes and scared and tired and hot and sweaty and you could see the toll this was taking on them in their eyes.
Downed power lines everywhere. Tons of trucks from out of state trying to fix the downed lines.
I saw Ohio and Michigan and Louisiana.
I saw the national guard trying to keep order in a very chaotic situation.
I saw little old ladies sweaty and dirty and waiting in that heat for whatever they could get.
It's a little too much.
I implore you, if you can help in any way, send it. It is going to be a long time before life gets back to even some what normal down there.