Sassafrass

Nah'Leens

I do sympathize for all the people effected by Katarina, in some way or another. (at press time, another catagory 4 hurricane is barreling down on the gulf coast) I will try to hide my cold heartless comments. But recently I guess I have been mourning the thought of a lost city. I came upon some images on flickr and began remembering the times I had traveled to New Orleans in my youth. I hope the city will someday return to the legendary status that it once had reigned. Nah'Leens.

My junior year in high school, I joined the summer marching band. My two sisters and all of my best friends played an instrument. I didn't play any musical instruments but was tired of being left out when they would leave on these superb summer getaways. Then they always came back with great stories and many inside jokes. So, I had a brilliant idea. I would march in front of the band with a flag. Someone needs to hold the American and Minnesota flags and girls are needed to hold the school banner. And bonus, they got to wear white cowboy boots! So, I picked up a flag and joined the color guard. I was so clueless that I actually joined in the winter season when they did Winter Guard. Winter Guard is a competition sport where you danced and twirled a flag in a choreographed routine to top 40 kind of music. I hated this extra-curricular event with such a passion that the trauma has left me thankfully with very little memory of it. I do remember my mom was very happy I had joined an organized school program (rather than an unorganized school program...mischief) I thought they would teach marching drills through out the year. No, they competed in these strange costumed, modern dance, choreographed type of events. There was no marching band nor marching band music. I was horrified by what I got myself into. Can I quit and then re-join for the summer? No- the band director encouraged me to stick with it through the winter. I didn't know any of the girls. They were friendly but strange. I had never seen them in any class or hallway. All my friends were cool, they were in the marching band. Who ever heard of color guard? And who joins? Oh, I understand, majority of the girls were dating someone from the drumline. I get it. (Something about drummers, eh?) Fast forward to the summer of 1988 ( I think?) We sold enough citrus fruit packages, pizza's, and god knows what else door to door, that we could afford to go to New Orleans with the summer marching band. We took the Amtrak to New Orleans. I had never traveled that far without my parents before. I had traveled to the south before and had even been to New Orleans before with my family. But the memories of Nah'Leens from that summer had left a magical fantasy inside my head. (Or was it being herded around with my fellow pimpled band mates) We were given a lot of free time to venture through the city on our own. I think we wanted to find as many kitche gift shops as we could. (What else do teenage girls want to do?) How many New Orleans tee shirts, shot glasses, buttons, or magnets did one person need? I remember walking down the famed Bourbon Street, and thinking what is all the fuss about? (it was probably 9 am and not a person around) I remember walking the back streets and marveling at the French inspired architecture as we rushed from one gift shop to another. Us, White Yankee Girls had never been on our own before in such a big city to find mishchief. I remember being corrected by our poor yankee pronunciation. It is pronounced Nah'lans not New Orleans. I also remember taking a bus tour through the historic parts of the city. Seeing the Spanish moss hang off the large magnolia trees and trying to envision the city back 100 years earlier. I even remember doing a stupid trick with my chocolate ice cream but accidentally spit it all over my best friend's white tee shirt (Sorry Ericka, god that was embarrassing) One night some of the horn section of the band, even got together in front of our fancy hotel for a New Orleans inspired Jazz impromptu. Many tourists stopped and threw money into a hat they had put out.

In reality, New Orleans was dirty and smelled. It had many pan handlers. It was hot and very humid! But it's the rich history that is so fascinating to me (White Yankee Girl) I never got to Mardi Gras (get panic attacks in large crowds) and someday I am absolutely positive the city will be back to its raw appeal. Someday, but not in the near future.

posted by Ms SaraTee @ 12:33 PM