So, I am actually on my flight, as I type, right here and now, heading home. Back to the place of my birth. Approximately 30,000 feet up, somewhere over the Virginias, and Im headin home to tha Mother Land. I have been back several times this year (I believe this will be my 4th visit since Christmas) but this time, Im stayin fo awhile! WoW, till October 18th. This is a first, since I was 15 years old, that my stay will last so long. 7 weeks all told.

Im a little nervous I admit, but above all, super duper excited to get back to my roots, eat some soul food and spend a lil time with my relatives. (All I usually get is a dinner and a party at Christmas time) Maybe I can stretch it out this go and squeeze in a tee time or two and maybe a (Howzya Momandem?) conversation at Cafe du Monde. Getting to know my relatives better would be wonderful.

So, a few hours ago, when I was on my bus through the Bronx heading to La Guardia Airport to catch the plane Im currently on, I chatted the whole way with the driver. He was excited, no I believe it was (happituh see deah wuz peoble like yo sef, headin down tuh do sum woik fuh dat place.) He told me he had been planning to go down to New Orleans himself, perhaps with his son, to work. He wanted to help courier supplies, as a bus driver. Very cool dude. And there are so many like him I see. Its wild how many people Ive met in the last 2 weeks who have expressed interest in making their way to New Orleans to help out (as soon as (they) can figguh it out). Amazing.

I might have been too young, but I just dont remember this type of help when San Francisco got rocked by an earthquake, or when the North East flooded, or when the MidWest got wasted by tornadoes. I mean, Im sure they were there, those Americans with huge hearts who pledged their time, money and might to help out in any way they could, there always are, but right now in New Orleans seems like a special case, a rare display of passion. Most folks havent even been there, but they still have a crush on the place. And then there are those who have been, however long ago, and fell in love hard and just never fell out. New Orleans is infectious in that way it seems. All these years later, all those folks who slurped crawfish UpTown and barfed in the gutters of Bourbon are returning to give a little back to the city that gave them so much. God its a beautiful thing.

And while Im commending the countless Americans (and others) who have returned to selflessly give back to this unique city, I will juxtapose their acts of generosity with New Orleans politicians SELFISH and quite frankly PATHETIC LACK OF ACTION to do, much of anything. To that end, it is faith based groups, volunteer organizations and basically everyone who is NOT the N.O. Government who are SAVING NEW ORLEANS. Countless articles have been published lately by the Times Picayunne and others that say exactly that. In short, the huge majority of the citys progress over the last year; clean-up, rebuilding, water distribultion, electric distribultion, etc. has been done by the Everyday Joe who is TIRED OF WAITING FOR RED TAPE GOVERNMENT BULL and INEFFECTIVE POLITICAL MAONING and so has taken matters in to their own hands. They have rebuilt their houses with their own two hands (learning masonry, sheet-rocking and plumbing as they go), unsure if in a years time a government funded bulldozer wont knock it back down. They have gutted their own restaurants and hauled their own waste. They have funded their own schools and taught their own children. They have given more of themselves, more than any politician has given ANYBODY this past year, to just keep life moving, keep things afloat, TO KEEP NEW ORLEANS ON THE MAP. These are the real heroes of the storm. The everyday New Orleanian who has returned and defied a WEAK and AIMLESS GOVERNMENT in order to build, rebuild something for themselves, something for their children and something for their fellow New Orleanian.