The day before yesterday went really well! I wrote this
yesterday but I couldn’t post it because we didn’t have any Wi-Fi. In the
morning we went to Hyde County’s government building and a county commissioner
talked to us about Hyde County in general and how it has reacted and currently
reacts to natural disasters, especially hurricanes. I think I can speak for all
of us when I say that I was really taken aback by the complexity of disaster preparation
and the obstacles Hyde County faces every day because of the these disasters.
After learning more about Hyde County, Mrs. Keeney, the city planner who has
facilitated our trip here, showed us some empty lots by the Pamlico Sound, where
houses had stood before Hurricane Isabel in 2003. It was also really
interesting to hear what Mrs. Keeney and other community members had in mind
for these empty lots with breath-taking views of the sound. Hyde County’s ideas
for development are amazing and I’m still crossing my fingers for a kitten
orphanage.
After our brief tour and a few too many group pictures we
went back to the historic courthouse to finish mopping the floors so the
building could be ready to hold an art exhibit later this month. Despite being
battered by hurricane after hurricane, the courthouse is still standing and, I
believe, this really exemplifies Hyde County’s strong historical narrative and
devoted community members. We wish we could be here to see it outfitted with art
that hopefully can compete with some of my koala portraits of 2001.
After our staple lunch: PB&J or turkey sandwiches (one
piece of sliced turkey, one slice of cheese, and mayo), we headed to the United
Methodist Disaster Recovery Team’s facilities to prepare and serve dinner for
about 90 volunteers and a few families whose homes these volunteers had worked
on. There was a big group of college students from Virginia Tech and Ferris State
University in Michigan, as well as a couple of other older-adult volunteer
groups. The menu included good, old-fashioned Southern BBQ, baked beans (with
bacon of course), homemade cornbread, and coleslaw. I spent the whole afternoon
drenched in sweat skinning the pig and ripping the meat from its weary bones.
Just kidding. The menu also included a pear salad. For the majority of our
readers who don’t know what a pear salad is, it consists of two pear halves nestled
in a bed of lettuce topped with a big dollop of mayonnaise and a sprinkle of shredded
Mexican cheese. None of us had heard of it, and being the adventurous and open-minded
group we are, we all tried to stay at least five feet away from it.
After dinner and spilt sweet tea, we got the chance to hear
from the families who had benefitted from these volunteers. Their stories of
survival, struggle, and hope were inspiring and humbling. There were tears and
smiles and pats on the back and such a sense of community in that room of
previous strangers. I’m so glad that I was able to see that and, as Kelly
Rowland would say, that is our motivation.
Katherine
