Elvis - A Lighted Candle

[maia]

Received this e-mail...

I live in New Orleans where recovery from Katrina is moving at a snails pace. The tourist areas

are beaming since our city relies so heavily on it for revenue. However, the populace here (most are still NOT able to live here) is still suffering. No electricity, in some areas. Can you imagine? Mental health figures are astounding…..No one is immune to depression. Drug companies are making a killing with all the anti-depressants and mood altering drugs prescribed. Mental and physical health care facilities are few and far between. Still no beds for immediate help. Now, even the stalwart are falling prey to Post Traumatic Stress. Our children are exhibiting the stress factor as well. These children are our future. They are the ones who will be the next generation involved in running our government and providing the services required by our cities and the country as a whole. The pervasive air of sadness, despair, and hopelessness is stifling. Fly into our city and you will be hit with the heaviness in the air, although the outer picture one would see as a visitor, will seem contrary. A city bus tour would introduce you to reality in the Big Easy. Wonderful, beautiful people from all over the world have come here to help….to knock down decimated homes, to build new ones, give money, set up Musician’s Village to get out wonderful musicians some housing and buy new instruments. Think about it….losing your instruments, sheet music, memorabilia, etc. Some come simply do whatever is needed . In the first few months after the storm, our local paper told of one man’s heroic experience of holding onto a door jam for two days before being rescued. The water rose to the gutter level on his roof. His dog stayed with him as long as it could, but the canine friend became too weary and drowned. For most of his life, he had been saving Elvis memorabilia and had quite a large collection. He had a dream of opening an Elvis tribute museum before this catastrphe. The cover photo was a picture of him leaning over in all the debris with a muddy photograph of Elvis propped on the muddy floor (after the water drained….several weeks before could get into the home again) The needs of our peoples will not end for decades, I fear.. Friends who do have insurance with above average incomes, are STILL displaced, as well, often living with relatives. Can you imagine your family living with relatives for almost 2 years?



I believe the Elvis sprit is showing up more and more to heal our word. Is their any human being that is as well recognizable over the world? The first Mardi Gras after the storm was an attempt to help our city feel some normalcy. The largest parade in my Parish had selected the theme on year before: Floats were already put together before Katrina. The theme: A SALUTE TO ELVIS. I was dumbfounded, How could this be? But, how very appropriate. The “King shows up” to spread his help to the world by shinning his light…..not to mention all the float riders wearing Elvis costumes! Each float was named after one of his songs, which would blare into the crowd as it passed. This was a day that New Orleans living far and wide, returned for a day of reveling. Children and adults dancing and singing Elvis songs was surreal. How perfect that Elvis would provide joy for so many. Watching reassembled families dancing and singing is music was a sight to behold. Was this simply a coincidence? Of course not!

There is no doubt, he is still working his magic, one person at a time, excepting his American Idol appearance. Now that was millions of viewers receiving his love, And, the song, IF I CAN DREAM was no coincidence either.

Thank you Maia for your help, and of course for your website dedication.

Karen Hall

[Blue Moon]

Thank you Maia for sharing Karen's letter with us. It's heartbreaking to read of the suffering still going on yet uplifting to read that Elvis plays a part in the city's healing.

[Wanda June Hill]

How fitting that Elvis would "ride" the floats and sing to those poor people who have been going through so much and still are waiting for our "wonderful government" to fulfill their promises. It's so fitting and so Elvis for that to have come to pass-he would be there doing his best to help and comfort were he alive.
He would be there performing and giving ever last cent to those in need-probably be driving around handing out money when he wasn't performing! I don't understand why this country, it's common people and our so called charitable government doesn't do more than lip service?
Yet we can shell it out by the billions to other countries who use the money to build armies and don't help their people! And we still give more if they ask! Why is that?
This is the richest country in the world-they say-but we have some of the largest areas of below poverty living quarters and people than most of the countries receiving aid from us. I don't understand. Jimmie and I are below poverty level as far as income but it's enough for us-we don't have kids etc:...or serious illnesses etc;....how do other people make it? It floors me. And it makes me sad. Yet our government thinks nothing of shelling out thousands to find out how an earthworm can be both sexes! Who the heck cares? They were doing that experiment when I was in science class years ago! It's been done-get on with the living, breathing human race-especially those right here in the United States-the supposed "greatest country of them all". Yeah...maybe used to be- Sorry Elvis, it must make you sad too, but you have the "balls" to go do something-even now. wjh

[MaryInTheMorning]

Thank you Maia for sharing Karen's letter with us. It's heartbreaking to read of the suffering still going on yet uplifting to read that Elvis plays a part in the city's healing.

AMEN Laurie! So like Elvis to be shining his LIGHT OF LOVE in a place where there has been so much darkness.

[Amanda Viola]

Moved to tears reading about the actual situation in New Orleans, two years after the Katrina! But also reading about the positive Elvis' presence, the waves of Love he still generates.

I really wish the people clamor was too obstreperous and total as to deaf goberments that simply doesn't care. The personal fortunes of that kind of rulers should be embarged until they attended the needs of the people instead their own greediness of power and more money. There's not excuse to use so much in armament (to enrich a few) and so little in real human affairs.

These rulers are human beings too, very much disconnected to Love. May our SONG OF LOVE reach them, the same song Elvis tought us so well to sing in our hearts.

[Rainbow Light]

Very beautiful and touching to read about New Orleans as above, thank you Maia for posting Karen's letter up!!