The bright side of New Orleans:
Yesterday, I was standing in my neighbors yard with a glass of wine catching up – next door the two young children were playing, the little tow head girl in her dress was climbing the crepe myrtle tree in the front yard and her older brother was shuffling up and down the driveway on his scooter. He said, “Ms. Rachel, I’ve started tennis camp. My dad was a champion in college tennis.” His sister shouted, “Liar liar pants on fire.” Along the bayou, people walked their dogs, ran, or strolled chatting animatedly to their companion. I had a moment of utter joy as I looked around, sipped my wine, and took in my surroundings – New Orleans – Bayou St. John – home.
The dark side of New Orleans:
Later, sitting inside with neighbors, I was being caught up on all the latest news of which the stand out was the latest “unbelievable” story from yours truly, NOPD. Apparently, in line to pick up kids from school, a mother was getting her five children into the car and the mother waiting in back got testy and started honking the horn and telling her to hurry up. When her entreaties didn’t prevail, she whipped out her gun and held it up out of her open car window and said “I’m NOPD and I’m ordering you to hurry up.” The police were called and turns out the mother indeed was an off duty NOPD officer and when her colleagues arrived they were cutting up and the uniformed NOPD said, “You should have shot a couple of them.” This was overheard and reported to NOPD as well. Now NOPD is not saying anything – no report was filed – and as I listened to the story, my utopian image vanished into the dark of night.