New Orleans is ‘home’ to my dad, who was born and raised here, and my grandmother lived here until she passed away a few years ago. As a kid I would visit the city occasionally to see my grandmother, but it hasn’t been until the last few years that I really got ‘into’ New Orleans. It started off like most non-natives, courtesy of Mardi Gras, but has evolved in the last few years as I’ve learned more of the history and the ‘real’ New Orleans. It might be hard to believe, but there is SO much more to the city than Bourbon Street and the French Quarter (though don’t get me wrong, those are great places!).
New Orleans’ greatest asset is it’s people. Their spirit, which the nation has become all too familiar with between Katrina and ‘The Spill’, is amazing. It’s a city that is great at taking negative things and making them positive, so it’s a natural fit for the 29 Days Until 29 journey. I talked to a lot of people during the day and night, as I tried a new method of getting people to talk to me. Since it was Game Day for the Saints there were people EVERYWHERE, so I simply held up a sign that said, “Got Cancer?” and waited to see what happened.
Well, what happened was everything from weird looks, off handed comments (“No, but I’ve got milk!”), to really interesting conversations. As I reflect back on the day, however, the best example of taking a negative connection and turning it into a positive one occurred on my flight from Boston to New Orleans. (Side note: it’s turning out that some of my best conversations are on the plane; which isn’t what I expected, but I guess is natural since you’re ‘stuck’ with someone for a few hours.)
Sarah (not her real name) is originally from New Orleans and currently lives in Boston. She was flying back home for the weekend to spend time with her family, which still lives in New Orleans. The family is getting together this weekend to celebrate her birthday and her brothers birthday and to spend time with her dad before he has surgery on the 16th of this month. Turns out her dad has prostate cancer and they’ve spent the last few months battling the insurance company to get them to cover a new procedure that’s a lot more effective in treating prostate cancer. Unfortunately the insurance company continues to deny it and the ‘standard’ surgery is the only option.
Sarah went on to tell me that she lost her grandfather to mesothelioma about 15 years ago, her mom had colon cancer 5 years ago, she lost another friend to mesothelioma a few years ago, and her best friend currently has esophageal cancer that started as skin cancer that didn’t get caught in time. Her story illustrates EXACTLY how many negative connections exist in this world because of cancer. The good news? We took those negative connections and turned them into positive ones yesterday. We talked about the Spirit of New Orleans, The Saints, Boston, her family, my family, and had a great flight full of laughs and some goosebumps as we talked about The Saints and what they mean to the city of New Orleans. Sarah shared the 29 Days Until 29 story with a bunch of her friends later in the day too, and new positive connections came out of that as well.
Sarah, thank you for your time, your hospitality (she was kind enough to give me a ride from the airport into the city and saved me $33), and your story. I will be praying for you and your family and wish your dad and best friend the best of luck! Keep in touch!