Finding light in the darkness

Since Hurricane Gustav visited South Louisiana Sept. 1, things have been anything but normal. We all know the storm battered the region with wind gusts of up to 91 mph, and it left thousands of us without power—either sweating indoors or venturing out to look for gasoline for our generators and cars. Traffic congestion, curfews and school closings all compounded our stress.

Fortunately, Gov. Bobby Jindal, Mayor Kip Holden and other elected and parish officials did an amazing job of planning and preparing for the storm’s arrival. The storm could have been worse. While my family did not have electricity for nine days, many others suffered for weeks. I was lucky because my family’s home is intact. However, many of our friends’ families weren’t as fortunate. They have experienced significant losses to their homes and property.

We were well into production of this month’s issue of 225 when Gustav rose up from the Gulf and stunned us by toppling so many of the gorgeous old trees that give our city such character. Our writers and photographers fanned out around the parish to document the storm’s impact and to find the untold stories of the hurricane they’ll still be talking about in 30 years, the way we talk about 1965’s Hurricane Betsy even now.

Read all about the storm’s surprising impacts in this month’s cover story beginning on page 47.

In the powerless days following the storm, life in my home slowed down. My wife and I sat around with our kids using flashlights and candles, and we created some fond memories.

We were fortunate enough to have a generator to power a window unit that would only fit in the kitchen window, so we slept right there as a family. While my wife and I emerged with aches and pains, our children had a blast. To them it seemed like we were camping out.

Those quiet nights gave a real opportunity to reflect, and in the candlelight I was reminded of eight vital life lessons.

Lesson No. 1: The most important thing in life is our relationships—family members and the friends we value most. While we’ve suffered through destruction and inconvenience, the fact is material things can be replaced. Don’t wait until a disaster strikes to tell your children, spouse and friends how much you love them.

Lesson No. 2: In times like these you get to know your neighbors more intimately. I was amazed at how the people in our neighborhood came together to help one another. Since the storm, I’ve heard similar stories from other parts of town of neighbors helping neighbors: chopping downed trees, cleaning up yards, delivering food. It’s important to come together as a community to help each other in times of need.

Lesson No. 3: Tough times don’t build character; they reveal character. It was interesting to watch the varying reactions to the storm and its aftermath. Some people quickly turned negative and were easily discouraged and bitter. Others realized that this, too, shall pass, and focused on what they needed to do right now to help their families and friends recover, repair, restore and return to normal. People who focused on others instead of only themselves got through the hurricane’s aftermath much easier.

Lesson No. 4: Don’t take the simple things in life for granted. This is a major issue in America because we are so blessed and in many cases have become spoiled. We were reminded of the satisfaction of a cup of coffee, light in the bathroom to shave, hot water, an outlet to charge your cell phone, the ability to buy gasoline, the availability of groceries and the simple pleasure of cable TV and Internet access.

Lesson No. 5: Be patient and embrace times of waiting rather than frittering them away. Learning how to wait in long lines and traffic congestion — not to mention the wait for power to be restored — was tough, but we did it. Being a type-A personality, I have learned that the things that slow us down and teach us to be patient are not that bad.

Lesson No. 6: No matter how bad you think things are, someone else has it worse. When I think of the people that don’t have the resources to buy groceries, to fix their homes, to buy gas or even to have a place to sleep tonight, I realize how blessed I am.

Lesson No. 7: We need to thank the unsung heroes. The police, firefighters, paramedics, utility and power line workers, tree-trimming crews, volunteers at the local churches, the folks at the United Way and Salvation Army, and all those people who don’t make it onto the evening news … these quiet people make our community great.

Lesson No. 8: Every day is a gift to us. The best gifts are those we not only cherish but put to use. Each day comes filled with opportunities to rise above fear, self-doubt and mediocrity, to fulfill our purpose, to create, share and build, to help, love and give back. That is what life’s all about.

And that is what I learned from Gustav. What did the storm teach you? We’d like to hear from you. Email me at [email protected] and share your insights and stories from Gustav.