DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO MISS NEW ORLEANS?
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DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO MISS NEW ORLEANS?
Songwriters Eddie DeLange and Louis Alter may not have known it at the time, but their song “Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans” is a sentiment that would be echoed in the hearts and souls of countless people. First heard in the 1947 film “New Orleans” and performed by Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday it’s become an anthem of sorts for anyone who truly loves New Orleans.
Back in the mid-1990s and early 2000, I did a lot of business travel to New Orleans. Visiting the Crescent City wasn’t just business, it was truly a pleasure, because the city was so delightful.
From the intricate iron-clad balconies, historical preservation, cultural diversification and fusion, beautiful architecture, sinfully delicious Cajun and Creole cuisine, hypnotic notes of the smoky jumpin’ jazz and blues scene, colorful artistic arena, lively nightlife, spooky voodoo happy haunting grounds, calm of the morning sunrise while by the Mississippi River and the Southern hospitality unlike anywhere else – New Orleans certainly has a charm all its own.
For anyone who has worked, played, visited and enjoyed New Orleans, you know what I am talking about. No ‘uptight’ attitude survives here because easing into the Big Easy with easy transitions from high-stress (where ever you just arrived from) into relaxation, with wide eyes of wonder is really the ultimate experience. The city that has culture, history, tradition and a true sense of itself….is something New Orleans has been known for, along with tourism.
But New Orleans is becoming more of a ghost town. And I am not talking about the ghostly voo-doo/alcohol related kind. No one can think of New Orleans now without thinking of Hurricane Katrina. From the thousands of people who are still recovering from the aftermath, the problems with the city’s government, economic and financial health and struggling events and local businesses due to tourism decline, it’s sad to see New Orleans is literally taking on a NEW, but very sad energy with the escalating crime that news is covering on a daily basis.
I have friends who have moved away and tried to come back ‘home.’ But it’s not the same and they are heartbroken to see while some of the spirits haven’t died, the spirit of the city is struggling… STILL.
With the recent headlines talking about Louis Armstrong International Airport privatization, the sale of the Windsor Court Hotel for $44.2 million and hosting of the 2013 Super Bowl, with on-going efforts from Habitat for Humanity and other organizations trying to help rebuild, one wonders when New Orleans will once again be the old New Orleans.
They say TIME heals. But even with time (and money), can the city return to knowing what those of us all know and miss? Or has the ‘damage’ been done – not just by Katrina, but to the ‘levee’ of trust that local residents have in those in positions of leadership?
My guess is that everyone now knows what it means to miss New Orleans. Hopefully, we all won’t have to miss it too long.
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