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When Kelley Met Katrina (part 2)
Jul 29, 2006

August 29th:  Let Me Be a Vessel … Let Me Help
 
The Red Cross had been staging at the Sheraton Hotel- which is part of the Miami Mart- since Katrina hit southern Florida.  Having always been a person who is motivated to help others in need, Saturday I had asked one of the volunteers if it was possible for me to help with them after our show was over in the evenings, after 6:00.  Unfortunately, the lady said they were all out in the field by then and did not return until the day’s work was done.  Even though I had inquired earlier in my week’s stay in Miami about helping, it was gnawing at me by Monday when I watched the live video footage from Mississippi and Louisiana.  I prayed again, not this time for the Lord to watch over the people in Katrina’s path- but to make me a vessel to help anyone, anywhere along the way… in any way I could.  I was no longer taking my good fortune as lightly as I had previously.  I was becoming more and more aware of just how lucky we had been in the bigger picture- and how much worse things could have been for us in Miami.

 
Suddenly, the swanky hotel, the air conditioning, hot showers, delicious gourmet food - nothing- was as important anymore in light of the turmoil other people were going through.  And for them it was just beginning- for me, my week was almost over and I could return home… life would resume as it had been before I left.  Everything would be as it was.  But not for them.  I agonized over not being able to help… but having prayed about it and offering my being in service to others, I had faith that if it was His will there would be an opportunity to help.

 
Monday was another slow day at the show and the only thing I was really looking forward to was afterwards - giving Lynn (the VP of our Florida brokerage and my best buddy among them) some lessons, tricks and tips I taught myself while working with PhotoShop for my company’s websites and print advertising.  Since power had been restored to many areas of the city, a number of the group had moved from the Wyndham Resort/South Beach back to the Wyndham Summerfield Suites where we began.

 
Being a practical joker- and also firmly believing that laughter is the best medicine- I was inspired with a devilishly funny idea during this, the third slow day of the Miami Gift Show.  An idea I knew I should wait to carry out until the last half hour of the day so Sam’s fit would be laughter and not a conniption.  Earlier in the day, I had passed by a booth with all sorts of baby dolls.  Vinyl, porcelain, delicate or lifelike… they seemed to have all sorts.  When I saw it, I had a flash – a funny vision, if you will.  At about 5:25, I approached the fellow in the booth and explained what had happened the first day of the show with the mother breastfeeding the toddler and how I wanted to ‘re-create’ the scenario and borrow one of his babies as an accomplice.  (I had to explain what was going on in order for him to let me- a complete stranger- just take a piece of his merchandise!  I even offered to leave my exhibitor badge as collateral, so he knew I’d be back to return the doll, but he said it was fine.)

 
As luck would have it, I was wearing a V-neck top that day and, using the baby doll as a sort of push-up bra and pulling a small part of the V slightly to the side, I was able to make it appear as if I were totally exposed and breast-feeding (the baby doll was toddler age, too!)  I prepped my outfit and appearance in a neighbor’s booth, so by the time I was casually meandering through our broker’s booth “everything” was in place.  Most of my colleagues knew what I was going to do- kind of like a kid at Christmas, I just couldn’t’ keep such a funny idea to myself!  The person whose reaction I really wanted- and whose laughter was really important- was Sam’s. (He had worried about all of the manufacturers’ reps coming in to Miami, cared for us when we did not have comfortable housing, was concerned for all of us knowing we had to go back to our offices and explain our sales numbers- or lack of them.  Of all the folks who looked out for and worried about us as a group, it was Sam, he was our father for a week… and, if just for a brief moment, I wanted to break some of his tension and just make him laugh heartily.)  After what seemed like an eternity casually walking around the booth pretending to be looking at the merchandise, he finally noticed me.. then he saw what I was doing and just broke out in the most heavenly gales of laugher.  Mission accomplished!

 
That evening, I rode with Lynn and our broker’s newest rep, Jan, back to their hotel: the Wyndham Summerfield Suites where I had begun my adventure.  It was strange in a way to be back on the third floor and be able to see where I was going.  I reminisced with them about my funny methods of remembering exactly how to get back to my room.  My original room was 353 and Jan was in 356, so we were just down the hall from the scene of the start of my adventures.  Lynn went down to her room to get refreshed and I went over to 356 and hung out with Jan, watching the news reports on how devastating Katrina had been that day in New Orleans and surrounding areas. 

 
A little while later, now part of a new threesome of redheads, Lynn, Jan and I went out to dinner at a Chinese restaurant in the strip mall behind the Summerfield Suites.  We also had great conversation and lots of laughs sharing stories with each other (there must be something about us redheads!)  After dinner, Lynn and I were feeling the lateness of the evening and knew we had to put our noses to the grindstone to get some PhotoShop tutoring in before we got too tired.  Sam ended up joining us as well, learning as much as I could fit into our time together for this purpose.  With as much as we could absorb for an evening- an evening before the last day of the show which would require the extra energy to tear it all down and pack it up- we called it a night.

 

August 30:  You Just Never Know Who You’ll Meet in a Day

 
It was the last day of the show and we were all riding on a bit of a high, knowing we’d be going home soon.  I think Sam felt awful about the lack of customers attending the show, but in the end, it was as out of his control as it was out of ours.  Trying to come up with some plausible argument to justify the trip when I got back to the office, I finally decided it’s just the Law of Averages.  We had had increasingly great numbers at this show since I began attending and there will always be not-so-great shows to pull those numbers back down to a realistic average. 

 
I was outside the Mart before the show opened when I struck up a conversation with a fellow from Texas.  A very kind fellow indeed. As we ended our conversation, he invited me to stop by his booth sometime during the day.  Now, I usually do not ‘shop’ very much during a show- my place is in the booth, not out shopping in the other booths!  However, having bonded in some way with him during our brief conversation, I took a break early in the morning to see what he was selling.

 
The company Ken works for sells- among other things- a natural potpourri made from large chunks of salt dug from the earth and scented with essential oils.  This kind of thing was right up my alley and I enjoyed going from bowl to bowl and filling my nostrils with scents from Christmas Cookies and Citrus Punch to Patchouli and Nag Champa.  Having settled on a few fragrances, I bought a slew of small bags for myself and others.  Since I really had more than I could carry, Ken helped me back to the booth with my fragrant finds.  When he saw I was with specialty food exhibitors, he quietly asked if we had any sort of chocolates left over- chocolate covered almonds, or anything- that he and his boss would be greatly appreciative as they still had to drive back to Texas after the show.  (A route that, of course, would be taking them through the ravaged states of Mississippi and Louisiana, among others.)  He said he’d even be willing to buy samples from me. I told him not to worry about it, I’d make sure they were taken care of for their trip.

 
Being the kind of person who- when I believe strongly in something- can be a natural salesperson through my excitement alone, I was sharing my finds with booth mates….letting them smell each one.  I had two buddies with me when I returned ten or fifteen minutes later, each friend buying all sorts of salt potpourri from this nice guy from Texas.  I had a chance to talk more with Ken and his boss about the route they were to take and how they saw that interstate sign on the news with water coming up to the bottom of it.  They were not sure how they were going to get home, but would probably have to go way up and out of their way in order to make it back. 

 
In an instant, I heard a voice in my mind, almost echoing in my head,  reminding me of the prayer I had said the morning before – begging to be of some help, somewhere, to someone.  As soon as I returned to the our booths, I began my campaign with a bag in hand:  first going to a manufacturer of chocolate delicacies since Ken had mentioned some chocolate to help keep them going; then putting in a big can of our Sea Salt Nuts and Crab House Crunch; on to my buddy, Valerie, who had a lot of ready to eat dips and salsas… I wanted to send the guys off with foods they could just open and eat no matter where they were.  We gathered bags of tortilla chips and pretzels to go along with the dips as well.  By the time we were all finished, I had filled three grocery bags for these guys and my heart was filled with joy and- even if it was on a small scale- I was filled with purpose as well.  I thanked everyone for their contributions and the ‘tres cabezas rojas’ went to deliver the goodies to Ken and his boss, Shane.

 
Surprise does not come close to describing their reaction.  As a matter of fact, I think I will skip their reaction and go on to the best part of that moment… it was my conversation with Ken in the following minutes about how the Lord sends people and opportunities our way, usually when we least expect them, and what blessings they are.  We shared our similar beliefs for a while before exchanging hugs.  He said something like, ‘this is how we say thanks in Texas’ to which I replied that it was how we said it in Virginia, too.  I made sure to pick up his card and brochure because I knew I’d worry about them getting home safely and would want to call and/or e-mail to ensure they got back all right.

 

Later That Day:  Coming Full Circle

 
As it was the last day of the show, some of my colleagues and friends were flying out at various times during the afternoon and others, like me, were flying out the next day.  When the show ended at 3, the mayhem of breaking down began.  Since I did not fly out until the day after the show each year, it was my habit to stay at the Mart and help the mainframe our broker’s reps dismantle as many of the displays as I could.

 
I always have the greatest conversations with this group of people- they are just great folks I love! One conversation in particular would come back to me a few hours later.  MaryJo, one of the broker’s reps and I were talking about music- something I had not heard all week and really missed.  The conversation got on songs we each love because of their inspirational value.  I was telling her how the song I’m loving now- a song I always heard as the perfect message from the human race to the Lord- was Josh Groban’s “You Raise Me Up” and how uplifting it is to me every time I hear it.

 
The afternoon wore into evening and I think it was around 6:15 or so when I left with my friend Frank from a candy company to head back to the Summerfield Suites (since Rhonda and Valerie were flying out that day, I was moving back to the original hotel where I began my stay.)  He and I really had not had much chance to catch up with each other and talk since he was the one stuck in the Atlanta airport and got in and set up very early the first day of the show.  We have a standing “date” of sorts to go swimming the last night before returning home and, you guessed it, enjoy good conversations and lots of laughter.  He has a great sense of humor that clicked with mine the first time I met him at the Miami Gift show four years ago and is one of the folks I always look forward to seeing there.

 
We were sitting in the clubhouse room for the free social time the Summerfield offers, enjoying a drink.  I was reminiscing about the last time I had been in the clubhouse room and the adventures with the hurricane since he had missed all that excitement.  As I was telling him about my conversation with Rhonda and Valerie about the dream I had before leaving for Miami and the black cat scurrying about outside during the storm while I was telling the girls about the dream, Frank caught something out of the corner of his eye and said, “Oh, there’s your black cat now!”

 
Sure enough, I saw it too and said, “Frank, could you excuse me for just a minute?  I need to have some words with this cat!”  He knows me well and just laughed as I headed out the door to the patio, barely even waiting for his answer.  I started talking to the black cat, telling him how I had seen him in the storm and worried about him.. and how happy I was to see he made it through all right.  He immediately began rubbing up against me and I was still talking to him and giving him love when I noticed a second, smaller and much shyer cat afraid to approach.  Knowing Frank was still inside waiting to pick up our conversation where I interrupted it for the cat, I told the kitties I’d be back in a little bit and to wait for me.  They both laid down and watched me as I returned inside.

 
When the social time was over- and the beer, wine and appetizers taken back into the kitchen- Frank and I both decided to go to our rooms and figure out our dinner plans.  Of course, the trip to my room involved going back out on the patio first to love on the cats some more.  The larger cat came right up to me and picked up where we had left off while the smaller female was still a little apprehensive.  Eventually, she came close enough for me to gently give her a few rubs, too, talking to both of them in a soothing tone and telling them how special they were.  Then, I had another flash of inspiration:  I had absolutely no idea why I had done it at the time, but did it any way- I had packed two packets of our 2.5 oz. smoked salmon filets in my bag from the show.  I told the kitties I’d be right back and to stay there, then literally ran back to my room- 356, by the way, the same room Jan had the night before that I had been visiting in.  I got the two salmon packets, a couple of bowls and a knife to open them with.  Then I ran back downstairs to the pool area, afraid the cats would not have been patient enough to wait for a stranger and move on to continue their hunt for food.

 
To my delight, they were both still there…. The big black cat almost seemed to be saying, “See?  I understood you and waited.”  I opened both packets and emptied the contents into the two bowls.  I could tell they ate well, were not starving and were taken care of at some time (I could tell by their weight, the good shape of their shiny coats and lack of signs of maltreatment.) Just watching them enjoying this treat gave me a warm feeling inside.  Then I heard the music coming from the stereo system by the pool- the first music I had heard all week- it was Josh Groban’s “You Raise Me Up.” 

 
I’m not sure if it was the sweat dripping down my face and getting into my eyes or if I was just plain crying tears of joy, but again I thought of the animals in my dream, the beautiful thing I was experiencing with these cats I worried about from the start of Katrina adventure and the ‘irony’ of hearing the song I had just been telling MaryJo about a couple of hours prior- I was Divinely touched in that moment, in a way I am not sure I know how to describe.  That was when I decided that I don’t believe in coincidences- I believe that what we humans call coincidence is the Lord’s way of reminding us He’s always got a hand in things- no matter how big or small, momentous or insignificant-seeming..

 
When the kitties were settled after their dinner, I retired to my room for a quick bite before meeting Frank down at the pool for our swim date.  When I got back down to the patio, only the smaller of the cats was still around, lounging by the pool in one of the potted miniature palms, playing and watching my every move.  She moved over to my recliner and rubbed against my shoes while I swam and talked to Frank.

 
That night was the best sleep I had during the week in Miami.  It was peaceful and I fell asleep with a smile on my face I’m sure.

 
August 30th:  Is That A Bomb in Your Bag or Do You Work For a Seafood Company?
 
One of the friends I made at the Summerfield Suites last year, Alberto, I met when he drove me to the airport to return home.  I had not seen him this year and thought maybe he did not work there anymore.  Well, as I was checking out I saw him for the first time this trip and immediately greeted him with a great big smile and a tone of fond recognition.  He and I once again got the chance to share my ride back to the airport after a full week at the Miami Gift Show.  We caught up on our happenings in the year that had past.  It was the perfect completion to my adventure- or so I thought my adventure was complete!

 
I got to the airport unusually later than normal- only an hour before my flight.  But, with all the times I had flown in and out of that airport, I was not worried about that what-so-ever.  I got my stuff checked in at curbside, got my tickets for Pittsburgh and the connection to Norfolk and proceeded inside to go through security.  As I was approaching the security gate- just as I was about to go through- TSA employees began scurrying around with great unspoken intensity.  They began cordoning off the entry through security and told everyone to get back, they had to close the entrance off.

 
Concerned, I waited the distance they requested everyone be and watched the time tick away- getting closer and closer to the time of my departure.  After about a half an hour, they finally allowed folks back through.  Fortunately the lady who was checking tickets and ID remembered I was as the head of the line and said I could come through, ahead of everyone who had accumulated since the security gate closure.  Being an inquisitive person, I asked one of the ladies at the X-ray machine what had happened.  She said there was some sort of threat and they had called the bomb squad to make sure everything was safe.  I got through security and to my gate with enough time to sit and ponder the contents of my suitcase.  That’s when I saw in my mind’s eye the cone-shaped crab buoy I had to pack in my suitcase because there wasn’t room anywhere else to put it.  I laughed to myself, wondering if I had set off the security scare.  Not knowing for sure, I just giggled to myself as I pondered the possibility and plausibility of the buoy being what had been detected as a threat.

 
Everything else went without a hitch, getting to Pittsburgh in time to make my connection and getting back to Norfolk as scheduled.  Just when I thought my adventure was over, I was reminded that my adventure never ends…. It is every day of my life, depending on how I live it, perceive it, react to it…. As a friend told me recently, it’s how I experience everything in life.  So, this was one of my adventures and I look forward to each and every one, knowing there’s always a lesson to be learned, something to be appreciative of, someone interesting to meet, something to learn and grow from, an event or series of events to be touched by… there’s always something out there to experience!

 
 
Post script: If you are so inclined, I would love to hear from those who have read my first little novella, as I jokingly call it.  I am sending it out to friends and colleagues with the invitation to pass it along to anyone who might be interested in reading it and am curious to see how far and into whose hands it travels.  This is the first step for me as I move into a new chapter of my life where I am actually putting thoughts and words into actions in carrying out what I’ve always known to be my mission in life- to help people in need, lift spirits, inspire and motivate, to be a living example.   I have learned that I will not be rich here (points to open hand) but that I will be rich here (points to heart) and that you can take with you!
 
The next project I’m working on is writing a one-woman play of sorts, chronicling my life adventures as a pregnant teenager/runaway living in a homeless shelter in Washington, D.C., in the mid-80’s.  My purpose is to go back to that shelter and share my story with current residents there….. if only for a fleeting moment to give them hope, to encourage them to have a dream and make each day a step closer to achieving it.  If nothing else, just keep me in your prayers.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Visibility: Everyone
Posted: Saturday July 29, 2006, 3:51 pm
Tags: help animals life dreams hurricane inspiration katrina [add/edit tags]

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Brad Mayeux (12) 		Sunday July 29, 2007, 3:20 pm
i live in New Orleans and stayed for the storm.
i think the Gov did everything they could to try to KILL US.
it really seemed that way.
From taking generators and feul away from hospitals to not funding the levee repairs
(bush denied funding to the levees that was requested)
to still NOW not living up to helping the people.

i tell you now....
there are STILL LARGE TRACTS of LAND that have nbo one living there.
and since it happened so long ago now
the MEDIA has let it go.

you can read my ddescription of the days after the storm here

http://911review.org/Hurricane_Katrina/

photos...
http://911review.org/Hurricane_Katrina/photos/
http://911review.org/Hurricane_Katrina/pictures3.html
http://911review.org/Hurricane_Katrina/pictures4.html

news etc...
http://911review.org/Hurricane_Katrina/ACE/levee_breach.html
http://911review.org/Hurricane_Katrina/Bush_Staged_Katrina.html
http://911review.org/Hurricane_Katrina/levee_FEMA.html

Brad Mayeux (12) 		Sunday July 29, 2007, 3:28 pm


Hurricane Katrina my experience - levee's FEMA

Hurricane Katrina levee FEMA

Bush Staged Katrina photo


Army Corps of engineers Katrina ACE levee breach


make a statement

political art at 911review.org

Brad Mayeux (12) 		Sunday July 29, 2007, 3:28 pm


Hurricane Katrina my experience - levee's FEMA

Hurricane Katrina levee FEMA

Bush Staged Katrina photo


Army Corps of engineers Katrina ACE levee breach


make a statement

political art at 911review.org

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Kelley D.
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female, age 42, divorced, 2 children
Onancock, VA, USA
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