In Search of Higher Grounds
by
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By noon the water was no longer at the edges of lawns, it had begun to encroach upon the foundations of homes. As I nervously paced back and forth, my mind entertained and probed every aspect of fear. I was momentarily halted, however, by what sounded like an acoustic thud. The noise was reverberating yet muffled. I peered outside trying to get a fix on its origin, but nothing seemed out of kilter. I had to get a grip on my nerves. The sound was frightening, yet there was nothing physical to which I could attribute the need for urgency. I turned slightly away from the door--my attention drawn back to the anxities already at hand. But, before I could complete my pivot, I caught a glimpse of what appeared to be frantic splashing. I was somewhat surprised and fearful. Thus far, I had not considered that someone else could be stuck in their home, on my block, and sharing my predicament. Now just after this horrific thud, I saw for the first time, another sign of life. This splashing was huge! I ventured out...The atmosphere was shadowy. I eventually made out the form responsible for the watery interruption. It was a man. He ran full throttled toward me, but on the opposite side of the street. The legs of his pants were rolled bukily. A pair of brown shoes was tucked awkwardly under one arm while his other arm swung and pumped the air uncontrollably. His face was frantic; his expression gothic. Now what? I asked myself. This guy scared me. I couldn't tell if he was running from or towards something. I began to wonder if I should be running, too. I was not certain if he saw me or not. I hastily retreated to the safety of my home.
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About the Book
This document details many of the tragic yet emotional encounters experienced by some of Hurricane Katrina's evacuees. Some of the drama unfolded herein depicts frustration, confusion and total desperation. The author theorizes, reflects and encourages perserverance as well as offers praise and testimony to God's Holy Hand .
About the Author
JoyAnn is a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana; she has temporarily relocated to Bryant, Arkansas via the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. After dropping out of high school and working numerous minimum wage jobs, Joy returned to school; She enrolled in night classes and received a General Education Diploma. Later, she joined the Army Reserves to help finance and continue her education. She received a Business Diploma from a local Tech School, went to Delgado Community College and next transferred to the University of New Orleans. She continued working while attending college at night. After earning over 400 hours of credit, she was advised to switch to day classes in order to receive a degree. Night classes, it turned out, was strictly a convenience; it did not offer full curricula which would net a degree. This was upsetting, however, life went on--jobs and lifestyle improved. After twenty years of military service, Joy retired from the Louisiana Army National Guard at the rank of Sergeant First Class. Currently, she has more than twenty-six years of federal service and is looking forward to retirement from the US Postal Service. Although a novice writer, she spends many hours inaundating and entertaining friends and family with letters, poems, and short stories. Over the years, JoyAnn has entered numerous literary and playwriting contests. She has not won, but received some recognization. One of her entries was read at the Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans; she also received a notation from Terry Meagan, a playwriting judge. Ms. Meagan commendeded Joy's strong writing abilities and meticulous sense for details. While living in New Orleans, Joy participated in countless drama activities hosted by her church, Beecher Memorial, UCC. Moreover, one of JoyAnn's favorite pastime is to share comments and swap critiques pertaining to popular movies and plays.