Thursday, March 30, 2006
Playtime almost over
I wish I could go door-to-door to everyone in this city and interview them. For every person who told me they survived the storm by seeking shelter on a rooftop, there are hundreds more that climbed a power line or hid in a closet instead. There's so much to this city that is crying for me to explore.
I've hopped around from worksite to worksite watching and recording what the Kent State volunteers have been doing. They've worked in sweltering heat thatching roofs, laying drywall, fixing pipes and landscaping gardens every day for hours. I'm sure they will take home an experience that will be permanently ingrained in their brains for the rest of their lives.
What I've gained from this trip is that the volunteers really haven't had a chance to talk to the people here. Gary Reid, director of the Pass Christian Community Action Network, told me "You get familiar to this area getting to know people and it just feels like home." I can see where he's coming from.
I've chatted with some of the other media personnel who came on this trip, and we all agree how weird it will be to go back to Kent. Driving around the city in a rental car hunting for stories every day is a routine we've gotten used to. We've all captured so many good stories, photos and video footage already but could capture so much more. Every person here in Pass Christian and Biloxi has a story worth reporting.
Whenever my brothers snatched my Genesis controller, I could always play again if I waited a while … perhaps my time in Biloxi is only over for the time being.
