Today was one of those dreaded days that makes me think it might be cool to skip out on coming home at the end of the month and forgo finishing school for a few years, to stay down here and continue working. Highly unlikely, yes, but it was the kind of day that makes me think it.
We had a bunch of Swiss kids come in this morning, along with Fox 8 news to interview them, and then I headed over to the 800s-block of Jourdan to mow someone’s lawn–with a machete. We don’t have working lawnmowers, so we just had at it with the blades. The Swiss girls were pretty hot, but couldn’t swing a machete too well. They ended up in their bras laying on the street in the shade of a tree. I did most of the work myself, which was cool, because I got help.
A local kid, Jeremiah, came over and we struck up a conversation. I got to use his father’s lawnmower and weed whacker, which was sweet. I was tremendously thankful for their help and offered to pay for the gas for the equipment, but instead he suggested that I buy them a six pack, so I did, and I sat on the front porch with two old black guys, drinking beer, talking about grass and flat-screen TVs and pussy. It was grand. No pretension, no restrictions… the people down here get right up in your face, tell you their life’s story, and are totally cool with just sitting on a porch and drinking beer with you for an hour. It’s really a lovely place.
So, my day was spent away from the plaster work I’ve been doing for the past week, and I was out in the fields chopping down grass and weeds from 8:00 until 5:00. I got bit by a lot of fire ants–they sting like mofos–and now I’ve got these great yellow welts all over my arms and feet, in addition to the mosquito bites. Yum!
Dinner was great, the social interactions today were great, I flew a kite, I flirted with a 30-something black woman, I made even more new friends, and I walked through the city and into a convenience store wielding a machete. It was kind of a surreal day, in some ways, but it was also really rewarding. All that sanding and plastering kept me around the AmeriCorps kids and the people I’m working with, but I came into contact with few locals.
Today, I saw the results of my work by the fact that the lots were clear and the owners of those lots could go another week without getting fined $300 a day for having tall grass on their lots. I interacted with the locals and got an introduction to the southern way of life, the southern porch culture. And I brushed Chopper and he actually looked happy for once, not just lethargic and bored.
Overall, a good day. These abbreviated (trust me, they’re abbreviated) remarks will have to do. It’s time for a cold shower, then the sleep that I so desperately need.
4 Comments
I really enjoyed reading this entry. And I’m really glad your experience in NOLA has been positive!
I’m a little terrified I’m going to spend my entire life in a bubble. Going to Wesleyan, surrounded by my peers. And then if I move to New York City or Boston and make friends with other alumni and their friends - when will I ever get out? When will I actually meet people who have led sheltered lives in different ways than I have? (Because I think the vast majority of people probably live sheltered lives - they’re just under very different shelters. And some give a lot more protection from the elements…)
Justin, you could probably write a book about this experience, and you should.
I guess when you don’t have too much, you’re much more focused on interacting with people rather than accumulating piles of various junk. And when you don’t have things to focus on, you pay attention to people. That’s when you drink beer, enjoy the night air, and talk about pussy. Glad you’re having a swell time, blondie.
Go where you need to be. Be what you need to be.