Copyright 2010 The Rose Project All Rights Reserved
Today, at 5 am, we got up and were heading to downtown New Orleans Moonwalk in the French Quarter on the Mississippi River. We wanted to watch a ship pass by that was just completed at Avondale Shipyards just a few miles up river from us.
The most important thing about this, it was a ship that is made from 7.5 tons of metal from the 911 wreckage. It is named the ‘we will never forget’ ship. It was completely built here at this shipyard from scratch to completion. Today, it is done, the final paint was put on, the crew on board and the sailing plan set for Virginia and then on to New York City in the next several months.
While this is a monumental feat at best to take a significant loss and create from the ashes and metal, what also took place today was a beautiful candle on the cake. Thousands of people lined the levee, that is the bank of the river, from Avondale to the mouth of the river to send this grand ship off in all spectacle, but bigger still, to let the ship know, the people support it, the people feel it, the people believed in America and the strength was felt on all levels.
We all waited for the ship to come round the bend under the Mississippi River bridge, (yes, the same one that people were not allowed to cross in Katrina, when the city was flooded and Gretna on the other side was high and dry and never even lost power or people or had serious effects), but the fog rolled in and we could not even see the middle of the river, let alone any ship traffic.
We waited, people came, people left, but the crowd waited, just like waiting for a Mardi Gras parade, for when it comes, in New Orleans time, it will come when it comes. It was expected for 8:30, but did not round the bend until almost going for ten. But, the fog was so thick, we waited for the river to ripple, we waited for the fog horns to blare, or the bands to play, but waiting and hoping for a big metal ghost to come out of the f og came slow and quick with such a filtered glimpse, that those who blinked may have missed it.
Copyright 2010 The Rose Project All Rights Reserved
It made this seem grander to all senses, as we listened to the loud horn of the ship, then the calliope of the River Queen paddle boat started to play ‘New York, New York’ , and the ghost of the river drifted past, with push boats and tug boats, all shooting up their water spouts like whales, and the people all yelling ‘USA” and waving their free flags all along the banks of the river. We waved, yelled, sought with ours eyes, listened with our ears and remembered with our minds.
All attempts to ‘get pictures’ showed only an outline in the distance, but the people will remember, the ship we will not forget, we were there, if only for those two minutes for the ship to enter our sight, to drift out of our sight, that is how we will remember.
There are so many things to worry about, to say is wrong, right, or good or bad, this just was, it happened, it was created. Not just with metal, or loss or money, it was the people who were remembered, the people who built it, the people who came to send it off. People make the world a better place, be present.
Copyright – Written by: Jeanette Gallagher Oct. 13th 2009
