Wednesday, May 19, 2010

The New Orleans bug

A common theme I hear from people who live in New Orleans is that people move here to enjoy their lives.  I hear this over and over again, whether directly or through surreptitious eavesdropping.  Conversations repeatedly turn back to the theme of this city being a good place in which to spend one's days.  I believe it.
Most recently:  "I lived in Chicago for ten years.  People there know how to get on with their lives, they know how to get busy and do their work, but they don't know how to enjoy themselves when their work is done."

Yesterday: "I lived in Upstate New York.  People stay inside all the time.  They don't know how to get out and socialize and have a good time.  I couldn't take it anymore.  I had to come here."

The day before:  "I'm from Iowa.  This is a big change but I jumped at the chance.  I got here three weeks before The Storm and lost everything I had.  I didn't evacuate.  I didn't have anywhere to go so I stayed.  I'm still staying and I don't regret it."

Variations of these paraphrases crop up endlessly.  I can tell you one thing for sure: New Orleans is the opposite of Boston.  Whether that is good or bad, I can't say; probably neither.  Each city is what it is and the world would be a poorer place if it didn't have a Boston.  For the time being, I am throwing in my lot with New Orleans.  I've been bitten by the bug.    Soon enough people may eavesdrop on me and I suspect I'll be saying things along the lines quoted above.

Cheers!
WK

2 comments:

Michelle H. said...

I can understand that. I've been wanting to move from PA and head up into the New England coastal area not to live it up, but to see the ocean, settle in, and develop a writing career. That's work. But when mulling about where to relax and just enjoy what life has to offer, I can't think of any place other than New Orleans.

La Belle Esplanade said...

I love New England and miss the ocean lapping a rocky coastline but I have gotten more writing done these past two weeks than I have in months. Probably because I've been so idle and overstimulated recently.

Cheers!

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