Keeping my fingers crossed
Fourteen months ago 1200 communicators gathered in New Orleans for IABC’s 2007 International Conference. Of course, they gathered for the usual conference reasons–exceptional professional development and the opportunity to connect with other communicators.
But in June 2007, many attended with another purpose in mind–to support the City of New Orleans and contribute to its rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina.’s devastation. In fact, 100 attendees arrived in New Orleans two days before conference began so they could work under the direction of Habitat for Humanity building homes.
And so, with breath held, I kept my eye on the television today, hoping that Hurricane Gustav was not going to undo all the rebuilding that many hundreds of people had done in Louisiana and Mississippi after Katrina.
As I write this at 11 pm on Monday, 1 September, it appears that Gustav has not created the terrible destruction that some forecasters had feared. I am hoping that it would not be premature to breathe a sigh of relief.
To all IABC members–and any person–in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, I hope that the worst Gustav caused you was some inconvenience, not destruction or long-term displacement from your home. I hope you will let me know how you are doing.
It is events like Gustav (and the upcoming Hurricane Hannah) that remind us how fragile our good fortune can be.