I've been telling some friends for a while now that I'm going to write a book regarding the hilarious cat calls of New Orleans--mainly because there are so many awesome ones, but also because I want to be punny and use my name in the title. Now, a book may not be in the works anytime soon, so I figured a blog post will suffice.
Let me start by saying the men of New Orleans are not shy. Definitely not shy. If they like you, they will tell you. If they want to talk to you, they will initiate it. If they want to marry you, they will propose. And believe me, I'm not tooting my own horn and saying "Oh my gosh I'm so pretty everyone wants to talk to me." No. If you are decently attractive they will hit on you. Actually, you don't even need to be decently attractive--you just need to be a woman (and I'm not even entirely sure that that is a required criteria).
This morning I heard a good one. On my bike ride from the ferry to work, a man said to me, "Oooooeeeeeee you riding that bike girl. I wish I was your husband." Now, I'm not sure how those two thoughts have anything to do with each other. How did you go from complimenting my bicycle riding to proposing to spend the rest of your life with me? It's quite the jump. But I will admit, I ride a mean bicycle.
My biggest mistake thus far in New Orleans is not writing down cat calls as they come, especially because I have a terrible memory. But I guess that means the ones I remember are the cream of the crop. For instance, one of my first weeks down here, on my walk home from work, someone stopped me and said, "Damn, God was having a good day when he made you." Things I like about this compliment: Clever, appropriate, and flattering. If you think about it, that is actually a really great compliment to give someone, so don't be surprised if you hear me utter something of the sort the next time I compliment you.
Another one of my favorites was not necessarily a cat call, but definitely one of my favorite moments. A few weeks ago I was riding my bike home through Central City (which if you know anything about New Orleans, you know it's not the nicest of neighborhoods). But don't worry, I am always properly equipped with pepper spray and a pocket knife (thanks dad!). Anyways, there is a particular corner where a bunch of guys are always hanging out, especially around the time I leave work. On that day, as I was rising past, one of them pointed to me and yelled, "Look! A white woman!" The reaction was even better: most exclaimed, "What! Where?!" I just laughed, waved, and kept cycling along my merry way.
Another one was also on my way home from work (there seems to be a trend here). I was walking past a group of homeless people sitting on the steps outside of a Family Dollar. As I walked by, one man said to me, "I love you." I smiled and waved and said "thank you." One of the women that he was with said, "I'm sorry, he's on a lot of medicine right now and doesn't know what he's saying." A little peeved, the man looked at the woman and said, "Yes I do, I love her so much."
I don't specifically remember the wording of others, but I can tell you that if I would have wanted to be, I could definitely have been married several times over since I've moved here. It's good to know I have options. Luckily I'm dating someone who picked me up with his good looks, charm, and lack of beer pong skills, rather than creepy shout outs on the streets. But I definitely commend those bold enough to get shut down in broad daylight on some of New Orleans busiest streets. Touche, men.
So ladies, if you're feeling gloomy, unloved, unattractive, or just having a bad day, book a flight to New Orleans! I promise I can have you engaged by the time you leave, no matter how long your stay is. Or at the very least, this place will boost your self esteem.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Worth it
Yesterday I attended a conference with about 15 professionals working with homeless agencies throughout the United States. Attendees came from New York, Oregon, Texas, Louisiana, and a few other states.
After introductions we were advised to state three of the most prominent challenges that we face in this line of work. Answers varied from lack of funding, excessive paperwork, not being to help everyone, getting landlords to agree to allow our clients to live in their apartments, getting employers to hire our clients, focusing on our own employees' self care, and many others. It was about an hour or two of shared empathetic frustrations bouncing back and forth. If you're involved in homelessness, you know it's not an easy job.
After we discussed the many challenges we faced, we went on the tour of the facility we were at, which was the Rosa F. Keller building, a Permanent Supportive Housing building that my agency owns for chronically homeless and disabled individuals.
The last part of the tour was a viewing of one of the apartments. It was a formerly homeless man's apartment who we housed after he was on the streets for many years. He wasn't severely physically disabled, but had a few mental disabilities. I'm not sure what else he had endured, but in order to get housed in this building, he had to have been through a lot.
He greeted us at the door and openly welcomed us into his apartment. A multitude of fake-flowered garland and Christmas lights lined the ceiling, the moldings and the trimmings. Each doorway was decorated beautifully with photos and flowers and anything else he thought looked nice (ex. place mats that had pretty pictures on them). Every inch of the apartment was tended to and the place was immaculate.
He had been there since June, and before then it was probably a very long time since he had his own place, if he ever did at all. But this place was his, finally. And it was clear that he had been working diligently to make up for the years he lost not having a place to call his own--the place was beautiful.
When I complimented the decorations and cleaning and everything else he simply responded, "It's not finished. When I'm done, this place will be fit for a king."
He described the plans he had for the rest of the wall space throughout the apartment and other ideas he had and then invited us to come back in June when it was all finished. "I promise you," he reiterated, "It will be fit for a king."
He was blessed, he kept saying. God gave him a second chance and God worked through UNITY. He said his apartment came with "everything but a Bentley," and then proceeded to say that he'd welcome a Bentley if anyone had one to give.
Pride is a wonderful thing. I've been proud of a lot of things in my life, but never have I reached the extent of pride that this man had for his apartment. I yearn for the feeling to look at something and say, "This is mine. I did this."
When we left his apartment I was walking alongside one of the attendees from New York. She turned and looked at me and said, "That right there is why we do what we do. That right there makes it worth it."
After introductions we were advised to state three of the most prominent challenges that we face in this line of work. Answers varied from lack of funding, excessive paperwork, not being to help everyone, getting landlords to agree to allow our clients to live in their apartments, getting employers to hire our clients, focusing on our own employees' self care, and many others. It was about an hour or two of shared empathetic frustrations bouncing back and forth. If you're involved in homelessness, you know it's not an easy job.
After we discussed the many challenges we faced, we went on the tour of the facility we were at, which was the Rosa F. Keller building, a Permanent Supportive Housing building that my agency owns for chronically homeless and disabled individuals.
The last part of the tour was a viewing of one of the apartments. It was a formerly homeless man's apartment who we housed after he was on the streets for many years. He wasn't severely physically disabled, but had a few mental disabilities. I'm not sure what else he had endured, but in order to get housed in this building, he had to have been through a lot.
He greeted us at the door and openly welcomed us into his apartment. A multitude of fake-flowered garland and Christmas lights lined the ceiling, the moldings and the trimmings. Each doorway was decorated beautifully with photos and flowers and anything else he thought looked nice (ex. place mats that had pretty pictures on them). Every inch of the apartment was tended to and the place was immaculate.
He had been there since June, and before then it was probably a very long time since he had his own place, if he ever did at all. But this place was his, finally. And it was clear that he had been working diligently to make up for the years he lost not having a place to call his own--the place was beautiful.
When I complimented the decorations and cleaning and everything else he simply responded, "It's not finished. When I'm done, this place will be fit for a king."
He described the plans he had for the rest of the wall space throughout the apartment and other ideas he had and then invited us to come back in June when it was all finished. "I promise you," he reiterated, "It will be fit for a king."
He was blessed, he kept saying. God gave him a second chance and God worked through UNITY. He said his apartment came with "everything but a Bentley," and then proceeded to say that he'd welcome a Bentley if anyone had one to give.
Pride is a wonderful thing. I've been proud of a lot of things in my life, but never have I reached the extent of pride that this man had for his apartment. I yearn for the feeling to look at something and say, "This is mine. I did this."
When we left his apartment I was walking alongside one of the attendees from New York. She turned and looked at me and said, "That right there is why we do what we do. That right there makes it worth it."
Monday, January 14, 2013
Respect the system
A lot of people commend the work that I do, and just as many disagree with it. Homelessness, food stamps, welfare, and medicaid/medicare are all highly controversial topics, especially in a nation struggling with its economy. And rightfully so--the country spends an unimaginable amount of money on welfare and food stamps each year. And many of you would be surprised to hear that I agree with you: I don't think everyone that receives these "hand outs" should be getting them.
October 15 the most recent welfare statistics came out. The Department of Commerce reported that 4.3 million people are on welfare--this equates to the US spending $131.9 billion annually on welfare. Additionally, 46.7 million are on food stamps.
I will be the first to tell you that I will gladly support welfare and food stamps where they are needed. Food stamps are the reason I've been able to eat these past few months. I have devoted my life to helping others, and for those who are disabled, elderly, in the transition of looking for a job, caring for their children, or have been displaced by natural disaster, I fully support the government helping you out. In fact, I love it. However it irks me when people take advantage of the system.
The other day on my ferry across the Mississippi on my way to work I started chatting with two middle-aged men. Both were well spoken, physically able, and in adequate clothing. After a few minutes of speaking, they asked where I worked, and when I told them, it turned out they were homeless.
I asked the normal questions: Why are you homeless? Where are you staying? Where is your family? Etc. After I picked their brains for a bit, it turned out neither of them were employed, they were living in a tent across the river from downtown, and neither were disabled. In fact, one of them had been given an apartment from my agency once before, and decided that he wanted to move out of state--he lost his apartment. A free apartment.(He also had the nerve to ask me if he could get it back).
I asked them what they were going to do all day and they said probably just roam around the city. When I asked why they weren't applying for jobs, they said they didn't really want to do that today.
Let me reiterate. I love helping people. But, I love helping people that actually need help. People that try to take advantage of the system when our country's economy is falling apart are not the kind of people that I have a soft spot in my heart for.
Every day people walk into the office that are disabled, elderly, sick, victims of Katrina, victims of Isaac, victims of domestic violence, recently laid off, etc. All people that are in need of help. Our job is to get them on the right track--if they are able bodied, we help them find a shelter or transitional housing that best suits them. While there, they work on finding employment and saving money so that they can get their own apartment. If they are disabled, chronically homeless, extremely ill, or elderly, we try to get them into a Permanent Support Housing program.
To me, this is how the system should work. If you need a boost and a nudge to get your life back on track, I'd love to support you and help you in any way I can. If you are unable to solely care for yourself, I would also love to help you. If you are manipulating the system to get an apartment that others truly need, I do not have sympathy for you, nor am I willing to help you.
I make a very small amount of money, however I live comfortably in an apartment and pay my bills. And I work my ass off to do so. If you are able to work your ass off too, you will not get sympathy from me, nor will you get a referral for a free apartment. However, I will happily pick you up an application at any company in the city.
October 15 the most recent welfare statistics came out. The Department of Commerce reported that 4.3 million people are on welfare--this equates to the US spending $131.9 billion annually on welfare. Additionally, 46.7 million are on food stamps.
I will be the first to tell you that I will gladly support welfare and food stamps where they are needed. Food stamps are the reason I've been able to eat these past few months. I have devoted my life to helping others, and for those who are disabled, elderly, in the transition of looking for a job, caring for their children, or have been displaced by natural disaster, I fully support the government helping you out. In fact, I love it. However it irks me when people take advantage of the system.
The other day on my ferry across the Mississippi on my way to work I started chatting with two middle-aged men. Both were well spoken, physically able, and in adequate clothing. After a few minutes of speaking, they asked where I worked, and when I told them, it turned out they were homeless.
I asked the normal questions: Why are you homeless? Where are you staying? Where is your family? Etc. After I picked their brains for a bit, it turned out neither of them were employed, they were living in a tent across the river from downtown, and neither were disabled. In fact, one of them had been given an apartment from my agency once before, and decided that he wanted to move out of state--he lost his apartment. A free apartment.(He also had the nerve to ask me if he could get it back).
I asked them what they were going to do all day and they said probably just roam around the city. When I asked why they weren't applying for jobs, they said they didn't really want to do that today.
Let me reiterate. I love helping people. But, I love helping people that actually need help. People that try to take advantage of the system when our country's economy is falling apart are not the kind of people that I have a soft spot in my heart for.
Every day people walk into the office that are disabled, elderly, sick, victims of Katrina, victims of Isaac, victims of domestic violence, recently laid off, etc. All people that are in need of help. Our job is to get them on the right track--if they are able bodied, we help them find a shelter or transitional housing that best suits them. While there, they work on finding employment and saving money so that they can get their own apartment. If they are disabled, chronically homeless, extremely ill, or elderly, we try to get them into a Permanent Support Housing program.
To me, this is how the system should work. If you need a boost and a nudge to get your life back on track, I'd love to support you and help you in any way I can. If you are unable to solely care for yourself, I would also love to help you. If you are manipulating the system to get an apartment that others truly need, I do not have sympathy for you, nor am I willing to help you.
I make a very small amount of money, however I live comfortably in an apartment and pay my bills. And I work my ass off to do so. If you are able to work your ass off too, you will not get sympathy from me, nor will you get a referral for a free apartment. However, I will happily pick you up an application at any company in the city.
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