Jo Saxe, unskilled laborer, goes to New Orleans, with the creeping crud, otherwise known as the most recent flu bug, (instead of a 5-day old common cold) and comes back a professional roofer!!! On the way, she acquires 23 close buddies.

I resonate with Carol’s very articulate entry and Alison’s lovely and poignant poem after Easter Services in one of the devastated areas; therefore, I will not repeat those themes. Here is my personal account:

This week I worked the hardest I have ever worked physically! I was sick the whole time. Sunday night I got a call from one of my cousins in NY/NJ, breaking the news that our mutual cousin, who is loved fiercely by all whom she has touched, died tragically in her car after crashing. She was 81, but she had much life left in her. I was faced with the decision of whether to join my mother, son and wife and daughter for the funeral in NY. I was only just beginning to bond with the group; our first work day was the next day. After agonizingly deciding and redeciding, I realized that my sinuses and ear canals were totally clogged and that I should not fly. It was the right decision but still incredibly hard. I was contantly on the phone with various members of the family, so I felt very in the loop. Even so, by 9pm Tuesday night I was begging Steve to help me search for a red eye flight that night to NY.

Tuesday, Carol and Steve suggested that the group hold a Kaddish Service (the Jewish
Prayer in honor of the death of a loved one) on Wednesday at lunch. I had been trying my best (and I am pretty good at this) to bury my feelings and forget everything except the work at hand and the fun we were having. I reluctantly said ok because I knew they wanted to do this. Surprisingly to me, the experience was very healing and nurturing. A lot of tears were shed in memory of many loved ones. Most people had never experienced this prayer.

Meanwhile, the roofers were making incredible headway, while singing our hearts’ out, entertaining ourselves and the whole group. Thanks to the expertise of our crew leader, Ken, and the boundless energy of Nikki and Erik, our youth participants, and the willingness of the rest of the crew, Carol, Elizabeth and yours truly to learn all aspects of the job, we reroofed most of the house!

Finally, unexpectedly, I had a major accomplishment experience on Friday afternoon, our last work day. I had been on the very unstable tripod ladder handing up the very scary and powerful nail gun and the roofing tiles, etc., but had not ventured up the tall ladders. Surprising myself, I unexpectedly requested taking a turn with the nail gun. What an exhilarating experience! And Eric, our 20-year old, was my enabler, recognizing that finishing the roof was not our highest mission, but seeing to it that everyone got what they needed was a higher mission.

I cannot think of anything to recommend more at the present time than that all who are reading this blog and have not experienced such a group mission, sign up now! I personally recommend an interfaith, interracial, multi-age group experience (we ranged from 16 to several 70+), but any grouping will work.

On a broader note....

Why hasn't our government set up a WPA-like department (Works Progress Administration during the Depression), employing the unemployed to build and renew the devastated areas of Katrina? While we were working, we were treated to a visit from the homeowner, who was visiting from her temporary home in Houston. She was so grateful and felt so abandoned by her country's leaders.

Much Love and Hugs All Around,

Jo