We Interrupt This Broadcast

Breaking out from the Rio sequence to update on Mark and his family from New Orleans. They are all fine, well, relatively speaking. Friends of his parents have given, yes given, them their vacation house in Taos, New Mexico. Truly remarkable generosity. I feel almost pathetic that all I could do was to donate my remaining 1000 American Airlines miles in some hope that they will do some good to someone. They begin their journey to New Mexico tomorrow.

I'm grateful they are alive but still, you have to wonder what it must be like to lose everything. No, I'm not just talking about the house, car and every possession you've ever had but something more important. Mark's parents are in their 70's, they've spent their entire lives in New Orleans, so have all of their friends. Now everyone has dispersed, they still don't know what has happened to their life long friends. Except for a few photos in big plastic ziplocs, they carry nothing with them to New Mexico.

They called tonight to tell me they would be stopping in Dallas tomorrow to see me. I hope I dont have a melt down when I see them, I'm not sure what to say to someone in their situation. 'I'm sorry for your loss' seems trite, or even worse, its sounds like assuaging my own survivor guilt.

Bush didnt really impress me tonight, its too little too late. But then again I'm unplugging from watching any more CNN, its become political bitchslapping and predatory career shifting. Bleck. More words, stupid words, words that wont repair what nature has stolen. When I tried to capture one word to describe how I feel about the many people I know in New Orelans who lives will never be the same, I couldn't, one doesnt exist. But I did find a face that expresses it perfectly. You probably knew of him or maybe liked him as much as I did. Even when photographed with his wife and child he always looked like he was watching some horrible movie, frame by painful frame.