Is New Orleans worth saving?

[daveT]

On more thinking I would like to say that I may have been a little harsh on New Orleans.

BTW, I did not vote.

In N. O., their is a funny creation called a Po' boy. Some people say it is a submarine sandwich. It's not. A sub uses a certain shaped bread, cold-cuts, etc.

A Po' boy takes time.

I walked into a Po' boy shop in the Ninth Ward, hungry, wanting a new experience. A fat black lady was sitting in front of a dusty fan. Before she stood up, she rocked, and heaved herself up with a grunt. She slowly walked to the counter and put on some gloves.

"Haw can I help ya sir?"

I told her what I wanted. She slowly walked pulled out a slab of beef and set it on the counter.

Elapsed time: 3 minutes.

She grabs out a knife and begins the agonizing job of slicing the beef. One cut.... two cut..... three cuts..... I think there was about two pounds of beef on this sandwich already.

She grabs the ham and begins slicing. Seemingly slower, as the heat is probably getting to her, and she is now sweating.

"Do you want cheese on this sir?"

Do you slice that to? I didn't ask that, I just said: "yes."

Elapsed time: 8 minutes

Finished with the Po' boy, she grabs the the sandwich and pops it in the oven. She sits back down in front of the dusty fan.

I paid $4 for this monster that took nearly 15 minutes to make. If I was anywhere else in the country, I would have walked out, grumbling under my breath.

But food in New Orleans was sacred (still is?). Emeril Legassi has restaurants there. Food from the heart takes time.

The women down there were also something different. Women had no problems walking up to a man and talking. To be a woman was more than a description of her body parts. It was, to them, an adjective. A sacred gift. When a woman talks to a man, she is interested in every word he says. She is visibly old-fashioned, projecting an air that says she will take good care of you. She dresses in clothes that reveal and hint. I remember one that carried an umbrella wherever she went. Others dressed as if they were still in France, circa 1866. I am a man, I should never have the feeling that I am about to melt in a woman's arms, but down there, all of the conversations ended in a hug, and every time, I felt like I was in love, that yes, for a fleeting moment, I was welcomed into another's dream, and that yes, I would return, only to find the woman of my dreams.

The last was the music. In New Orleans, there was tons of street performers. They sat in all places. Many of them were illiterate. They just got together and played. All of the bands were amazing, blues based. One duet was a flaminco guitarist and a harmonica player. Their rendition of "Unchained Melody" stopped the crowd. Their version lasted ten minutes, but I could have listened to it all day. I do my best to recreate their version on my guitar. The big bands were brass, guitar, washboards, and all manner of musicians.

I believe that all of the above is worth saving. There was a spirit that can only be appreciated after seeing other places.

[tuq]

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I believe that all of the above is worth saving. There was a spirit that can only be appreciated after seeing other places.

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Really sweet post. But has it been or can it be fully restored even if we wanted it to be?