There's been ample opportunity for depression around my town lately.
- Since winning reelection our mayor has been jetting around the country while ignoring the drifting, directionless reconstruction efforts of the city.
- Every day more For Sale signs pop up, as people give up on New Orleans and move somewhere that works.
- The drug dealers & disaffected youth have moved back, with or without their families, and are busy settling their arguments with guns.
So it's hard to stay cheerful and optimistic. But this week a couple of things happened that bring cheer.
Tuesday afternoon I was flying to Atlanta on business & happened to sit next to the manager in charge of the
Earthlink project to bring wireless internet to the entire occupied city. He is also working with the city governments of Oakland and Philidelphia. He told me that our project is going faster, and with more city cooperation than anywhere he has worked. It's nice to hear that somewhere in city government things are working. Greg Meffert, the city technology manager, is to be commended.
And Saturday evening Bunny & I went to see a performance of Midsummer's Night Dream at the Shakespeare Festival Theater on Tulane's campus. It was a typically great performance.
By chance I happened to be sitting next to the wife of Trey Burvant, who plays Theseus & Oberon. Their 5 year-old daughter, Evelyn, is the changling child. Evelyn, of course, stole the show, and her father performed competently, as well.
But the real news is that the family has just moved
to New Orleans from Boston, where Trey had a successful acting carrer, because they had to be part of the rebuilding.
Thank you. Thank you. Right now I need all the encouragement I can get.
