I'm a Preacher's Kid

For those who weren't aware I was in fact a preachers kid, or a better known term a PK, I grew up my entire life in the church, the United Methodist Church to be specific. While I was growing up, my parents taught me how to speak about religion and Christianity intellectually, making sure I knew what I was talking about when I was referencing the Bible, or talking about different aspects of Christianity. It goes on to say that if you know me at all you know that I have strong opinions about not only the Christian Church but all of organized religion in general. I don't advocate towards blindly going to church and not really understanding or caring what the meaning is behind why you are going. I also don't really enjoy hearing older people who go to conferences or discussions about religion quoting every piece of literature that they have found about the Bible, Christianity, or theology in general. In fact that actually annoys me more then blind faith. It's not that I don't like those who like to fully understand what it is they are believing, I just don't like when it is all of the pious crap, trying to show off that they have read the Bible.

Here is my opinion, there is a difference between reading the Bible, studying the various theologies of Christianity and reading different literary works on Jesus. But if you are doing this all so that you can have dialogue, and then on top of that you aren't really acting like a true Christian, then I don't really want to argue your Bullshit research. Because theological discourse is not necessarily about being able to argue biblical context intellectually. No, you need to be following what the Bible is actually teaching. Pious Jesus talk is not necessarily making you a good christian, just because you go to church every Sunday, and you think you have a "relationship" or a "love" for Jesus, doesn't make you a Christian, when you are walking around judging others, and not really taking the time to engage your fellow man.

This ranting on my religious annoyances comes out of a day and a half conference that I attended called "Let Love Rule," essentially where we spent the whole time discussing or rather listening about how the monastics would say we should live with love. The problem was not the content for me, I loved the speaker, she made many great points, it was the audience that was participating in the discussion. First of all the conference was held in possibly the richest part of New Orleans, secondly the audience was for the most part elderly people, or those who consider themselves to be holy church going folks. Basically what I am getting at was that the content didn't resonate with the audience like it would if for example this conference was being held in a lower-income area, or maybe with a more youthful vibe. I am 90% sure that our group of LWP folks and the Presbyterian Young Adult Service group were the youngest attending the conference. To me, the whole idea of the conference was a waste of time, because we essentially spent 5 hours listening to older people showing off how much they thought they knew about the Bible and the original church fathers. I was fighting my inner preachers kid the entire time to not pull out a Bible and have those making the pious claims, to prove themselves.

Well anyway, I think I have ranted enough about my annoyances with Christianity on the pious level,

Peace. 

Growing Up

I have been volunteering now with the Episcopal Service Corps for almost a month and a half, I was recently told 8 weeks. I have been having a blast down here in NOLA exploring what I will be calling home. But I am also learning what it means to have a full time job and actually be considered an adult in the work place, coming up with ideas that will have an impact on not only the organization but also my neighborhood which I am serving as part of my job. I think that this is probably the single hardest transition I have ever had to make, the process of going from being a full time student to being a full time volunteer/person in the workforce.

I feel like I am learning this process in a more unique way than most, because I am doing volunteer work through a program, which means that not only am I working, but I also have to live within a community of volunteers, walk through the different meetings and activities that the program offers, and find some way of balancing a social life in there some where. Balance has been a word I have used and heard frequently in the past few weeks, balancing my life is important. I know, to most that would sound obvious, like that is not a new revelation, but moving through this transition into a more adult role in my life has brought the idea of balance into a totally different light. One comfort I can take in this whole experience is that I am not walking this path alone, the others who are also in the program are also making these same realizations that I am. I would say there are most definitely three types of growing in life; high school, college, and post-grad adulthood. I have hit that point where I am trying to decipher the complexities of becoming an actual adult.

 I have learned a lot since coming to NOLA and I feel like I could not have picked a better place to grow up and find myself as an adult. I think that going across the country to do my year of service was a good choice, because while I am here I don't have the temptation of running to my parents every time I have a problem, or when I need comfort or money...haha. So now I am left to my own devices on how to solve the problems that I would usually go running to my parents with. I also don't have the luxury of calling them everyday, which only occurred really to me this week when I realized that I had not talked to my mom in almost three or four days. I mean I email with my Dad but that is not the same as hearing the voice of my parents and talking with them about my everyday ordeals. Growing up is an adventure that I am still riding, and learning all of the twists and turns of different aspects of my life that I have had to adjust or just flat out change. I think what will be the most interesting thing after this experience, will be to see where I end up, will I stay here in NOLA or will I look to find the next step in my life? I think that is a question that I must leave up to God, because while I have my ideas, God is the only one who truly knows my life path. But I guess until then, I will just have to continue on with this roller coaster I call growing up into adulthood.

Well till next time,

Peace

NOLA and the South

I took another trip to the French Quarter today, and I went into the State Museum of Louisiana at New Orleans, as well as the National World War II and Confederate Civil War Museums. I really felt like I needed to replenish the history loving personality that drove my degree. Well I learned so much about the different aspects of New Orleans that I have a lot to say about this city and its relationship to the rest of the south.

If you were to ask any New Orleanian if they were a southerner, they would probably tell you know, they are a New Orleanian. The people of NOLA don't have southern accents, conservative views on national politics, and it is probably the most accepting city of different cultures, sexual orientations, races, and religions of any of the southern cities. One of the main reasons that there is such a difference between NOLA and the rest of the south, even a difference between NOLA and the rest of Louisiana, is primarily because NOLA has always been a port city. Being a port city, New Orleans was on the cusp of the cutting edge, the avant garde, and the politically different. I mean one can see this in that there is a clear difference between those who identify as Creole and as African American, or even those who are a WASP and those who are Cajun. Since its founding in 1718 as a French port settlement, New Orleans has accepted all kinds of people, from pirates to French Quebecois fleeing British Canada, to Gays and African Americans. These people are pretty resilient to new types of people moving in and out of their city. The husband of the deacon helping with our program said to us "the people here don't care what you do, how you do it, or where you're from, as long as you're not boring."

Where am I going with this, well I am trying to say that while New Orleans resembles a southern city, in how it handles politics, social hierarchy. The people are fundamentally different in terms of how they tolerate all that happens in their city, they have a style about them, they are half implants, and full of the saying "Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler." I almost feel as though when they hear someone say it from the outside, it gets annoying, because they know deep inside that they do truly live that saying. Style is an important thing, and having fun is the second most important, coming very close to eating and food. New Orleanians take pride in the fact that they have a massive food culture, extending far beyond the new "foodie" movements happening up north. Food has always been engrained who the New Orleanians know themselves as.

Much of the business and politics happening in New Orleans happens at social functions and at food events, Mardi Gras Krewes hold more power in this city as a social order then any other in the United States. I learned at the State Museums, that Krewes were formed back in the 1700's by the higher ups of NOLA as a form of Nobility to greet those of noble blood from other countries. Having what are called Rex Kings, or kings for a day, who have a Rex court and all, they celebrate their rule on the two days before Mardi Gras, but are selected after January 6th when the season before lent begins. These Krewes became popular as social organizations of the higher classes of NOLA, later forming as social groups throughout the city. Then around 1809 the African American and Creole of NOLA being angry from being left out of these pretentious organizations formed the order of the Zulu, which was intentionally mocking the Rex Krewes, but now hold just as much significance as the Rex Krewes. These Krewes hold parties throughout the year trying to gain more and more influence from the politics and business types of the upper echelons of NOLA society, (essentially if you want to be elected in NOLA, you need to schmooze to the Krewes.)

New Orleans society and politics is basically backwards from what one thinks they know about southern society, here just because you have money doesn't mean you have power in this city. Here a krewe can rule the city merely because they have a lot of affluence in the city, and they have many members throughout the city. I think in many ways that is what keeps drawing me to the city, everyday I have to learn something new about how the this city functions, because it is unlike anywhere I have ever been. Anything I have ever learned about society from the north, is all thrown through a loop here in NOLA, nothing makes sense sometimes, because they seem to do everything with their own style and personality.

Well I must end this post about NOLA for now. So until next time.

Peace!  

One Month Already, so many adventures!

When I was working on my internship in Washington D.C. one of the first things they told us during our orientation was "Be a tourist in your city." Now at the time that was said because we were their for only a short time (3 1/2 months) so we had no choice but to explore the city. What I am getting at in relation to my experiences in New Orleans, is that for the first time last weekend I was a tourist in my own city, I went to the French Quarter for the first time during the day. It was actually fun being a tourist, I found myself just wandering the streets of FQ just admiring the architecture, perusing in and out of the little shops that line the streets. I went to the Voodoo museum, which I had read about in books, and it was interesting to finally see what I had been reading about. 

I don't know what it was about being a tourist, but I found it strangely relaxing to just view all of the sites of the city that I have been living in for almost a month now. Which leads me to my next point of interest, I have been in NOLA for a month, and has the time flew by, it still feels weird or strange to call this place home. I am having a hard time calling it the city of New Orleans, because when one walks through the streets of NOLA, it doesn't read like a city, but rather a very large small town (I know oxymoron, but that is Louisiana in general.) Learning how this city operates, is much akin to trying to learn how to read a map in a foreign country where the map is all written in their language. Each day at work, I feel I find out some new strange custom or law which just makes me turn my head and think "that is so backwards." Then again I have come to just being saying to myself every time I hear something backwards, "only in Louisiana," or "it would happen like that in New Orleans." One has to understand that I mean this with the same affection as when I would always say "only in Erie," or "Gannon would do things like that."

Through a strange happenstance I have started meeting new people that live around us, finally starting to get to know some people who are not from my work or from LWP (Living With Purpose.) While I have only known them a week, I feel like it will be nice to have a place to crash when I am tired of work or LWP people, I love being around everyone, but sometimes it is nice to have others to talk to. These are just some random ramblings that I have thought about since the last time I updated. But I am ready to sign off till next time.

Peace.

Football and Church

Well today is my first experiencing of a Saints game in New Orleans and Church as well, both are pretty instilled in this cities culture. The city of New Orleans was founded by Catholic missionaries and well church has just always been this town, the town stops in the morning for churches to hold their services, and I have never been in a city where church is so engrained the lives of everybody. I mean I went to a Catholic university but even there, church was just always sort of in the background of the culture of Gannon.

I feel like I should talk a little about my church experience today, because for the first time in 6 or 7 years I attended a Methodist church. It was kind of weird to come back to the church of my roots, especially with the complicated relationship I have always had with the UMC. It was strange returning though, because it felt strangely like home, or like a college kid returning home after being away for many years. I remembered all the prayers and the songs and the rigamarole of a typical UMC service, but it all just sort of flooded back to me, very fast and I felt suddenly as though I had never really left the church. The pastor who admitted at the beginning that she was a solid feminist (which I liked by the way) gave a very inspirational sermon on the value of growing up, not only physically, but in all dimensions of ones life, obviously focusing on the spiritual self. She managed to incorporate this message of growing up and always learning throughout the entirety of the service, from the Children's moments to the fact that we sang a new song as a congregation. It seemed as though this sermon came at the right time in my life, considering all the growing up I have been doing lately.

The next experience of the day that I would like to discuss is the first Saints game I am experiencing as a resident of the city of New Orleans. It's interesting watching everyone (even me) engaging in wearing and supporting the NOLA Saints, wearing our Black and Gold, and worrying about getting around while the game is going on. The idea of football in the south is fundamentally different than in the north. It is different in that in the north people watch and cheer on football in the same capacity as they do in the south, except in the south, entire towns shut down for the football team to play and give their contribution to the cities vitality of morale. Even those who don't really like sports or football for that matter (myself included) find themselves talking about the recent game, or different players on the team. It is crazy to watch as a northerner, listening to my supervisor at work for example who came from Arkansas saying that "before she came to NOLA she could care less about football, but now she gets emotional about the team and when they win." Football is a whole other game for those in the south than it is for those in the north. Well I must exit this blog for a while, mostly because i am tired, but also because I have to go watch the game, Who dat? nation has arrived.

Until next time,

Peace  

First Week Done

Well I have now completed my first full week of work as a volunteer fellow with Jericho Road, and it has been a long informative, tiring week. I have learned sooo much about community organizing and development, learning everything from how to set up meetings with community members  to what it actually means to be doing community organizing and development. For the first few days it seemed all we were doing was learning about the different aspects of community organizing and the influences it has on Jericho Road, as well as the neighborhoods which JR serves in Central City.

Central City is basically highlighted.

Central City is the district in New Orleans that Jericho Road has decided to place it's focus on, and this was a plan put in place before Hurricane Katrina. My job with JR is called Neighborhood Coordinator, which means I am responsible for helping one of the neighborhoods in Central City. I will be attending community meetings, facilitating neighborhood circles (or meetings held in homes by people in a specific block), updating the neighborhood on community events, and attending events held by the community. Alongside this we are also responsible for helping other parts of the JR organization, such as helping with the community green spaces, or selling houses. It sounds like a lot, and it probably will be, I am going to be working hard to make sure I stay organized (what an organized community organizer...lol?). Essentially I am managing the community, and helping provide information where it is needed.

It was when we took a tour of the neighborhoods that I realized just how messy this situation is going to be, especially since one of our neighborhoods doesn't have a clue that JR exists, and those that do are not really in favor of JR involvement. While I hope that I am not responsible for that neighborhood, I will take it if my supervisor assigns it to me. However I am excited because this coming week we are going into the individual neighborhoods to do surveys and talk to the people directly. While we are not being assigned a neighborhood directly yet, we are getting a chance to do the work that we have been learning about for the past week.

http://www.jerichohousing.org/

Well I have to stop talking about my life for now. So until next time.

Peace

Souhern Ways

Being a northerner in a southern city is an interesting experience; culturally, intellectually, physically, mentally, and just about any other capacity you can think of in the holistic sense. There is quite the cultural shock when coming down to a city like New Orleans. People operate differently here, not only is there the southern way of doing things, but there is also the New Orleans way of doing things. So much of the past three weeks has been a learning game of not only my job, but also the socioecopolitical aspects of living here. For example, I have learned that when considering the sociogeologic way of saying south for Louisiana and New Orleans, one has to say that this is the "deep south" because the way they treat just about everything in relation to the rest of the south. I would almost call this city a patchwork city, because there are so many elements in this city that shouldn't fit together but some how they just do.

The concept of "southern time" can be considered here, in that in the north, we do things fast and try for as much efficiency as possible, that is not how it is done down here at all. Down here in Louisiana whatever it is you are trying to do will happen in good time. Hurry is just not a word said down here in New Orleans very often. Another contradiction needing mentioned would be the way that Louisianans handle politics, which is to say they really just don't, and when they do it is dirty and quite scandalous in the eyes of a northerner. People are both extremely political and extremely apathetic here, they care about things that effect them, but when it comes to doing it efficiently or in a way that would make sense to the rest of the country, that is just not their way. Learning about the southern way of doing community organizing has come into light with the concept of slow and unorthodox in how things are handled. Our spiritual director's husband put it the best about the people of this city, "in New Orleans, they don't care who you are, what you do, how you act, just as long as you stay interesting."

As a lover of culture, this city is heaven for me to try and understand and live in, because there are so many different types of people, and aspects of life that I can look at when I am doing my day to day. I think the most interesting part of New Orleans is that when one thinks about all of the cliche southern ways or the tourist things to do, they really aren't because the weird quarks that we think of when in New Orleans are true and they are the life force of this city. There is literally something for every type of person here. I want to say that New Orleans is a feast for the sensations, literally every sensation that you have can have a hay day in some part of the this place. The food is amazing, the sounds are great (ranging from jazz and zydeco to the people talking and singing), you can smell
just about anything while on the streets, the old architecture blending with the ramshackle dirty look of the town can astound any eyes, and lastly you can embrace just about anyone here with kindness and a warm handshake or hug (New Orleanians have no problems with personal space.)

I think what keeps any person here is the people, they are so welcoming and embrace any one with whatever their quarks may be. Just about every person I have met in New Orleans has been friendly, welcoming, and nice all around. Any time you walk down a sidewalk, you always get either a hand wave or a hello or good morning, afternoon, or evening. No matter what it is, the people love having visitors and implants coming in and out. I have to say, I am becoming a southerner, and most definitely on southern time.

Random NOLA Rants

Finally moved into our NOLA house and spent our first night in it as well. We found out we are missing many things that are just random not to have, like a tool kit, or area rugs, or lamps. So now we must start our quest to find these many various items at Wal-Mart. It is very strange not having all ten of us together, it hit me especially when we were all (all the NOLA people) at dinner at Deacon Elaine's and we were all sitting around the table. I realized as I looked at everyone, "we are missing people" then I thought, oh yeah, the Baton Rouge girls aren't here. I think it will be an interesting adventure figuring out how we will all see each other time and again.

It is labor day in New Orleans, which apparently like any other town/city in America doesn't really mean much more than a day off and time with family. So that is why every one in the house is taking it slow to getting up, and we are off to find supplies for our house.

New Orleans/Louisiana is very strange, and as I live here I have found many things that I have to just get used to happening; such as I found with the light switches last night. Basically because NOLA is such an old city (like 250 years old) things in houses are just kind of put the best way they can fit. So our light switches in our downstairs bathroom for example are half on their sides. Another great example of this making it work ideology would be the fact that there really is not a single traditional apartment in the city, they all have half the unit downstairs and the other half upstairs. It really is quite amazing how NOLA has made it work over the past 250 years.

I have to say I love finding out the weird quarks of a city, especially the ones that have been around for so long as NOLA. Louisiana itself has the strange quarks that you just don't see anywhere else in the country. I had it explained to me like this; think of New Orleans as an American Caribbean city, and Louisiana as a different kind of deep south, a lot of how the people act and the way the state works will start to make sense. Also don't spend a lot of time trying to make New Orleans happen, just let it come to you.

Well I apologize for the random thoughts of this post, it is early and these were just some things I thought of last night while moving myself in.

Peace.

Changing in ways I never thought I would

I have only been in this state two weeks and I have already changed my ways of living in so many ways I am almost not even aware of the changes when they occur. I am thoroughly enjoying doing things the southern way, especially the deep southern way. For example I went to a football game and actually enjoyed it, I am falling in love with country music, and I buying christian based things.

For all those thinking I am suddenly going to become a conservative southerner, that will not happen, I will just be a crazy liberal with a fun southern twist. It's cool and I am completely okay with these new changes. This is a short post, just announcing how much I am enjoying myself and the new found changes that are happening in my life.