The devastation Hurricane Harvey has caused all over south Texas brings me to a dark place. Twelve years ago when Hurricane Katrina hit, I was living in Slidell, La., and I was one of the lucky ones. While the majority of the houses and businesses in Slidell were destroyed and flooded, my family’s home was untouched. There were a few trees down in the backyard, but our home didn’t even lose a shingle.
But that doesn’t mean we weren’t affected. We evacuated the day before the giant storm made landfall and shacked up with family friends — who are like grandparents to me — in Memphis. Watching the news as Katrina destroyed everything in its path was gut-wrenching, even for a 12-year old. I remember seeing the aerial views of Slidell on the news and watching my parents’ reaction.
There was even a report that the water tower, which was a half-mile from our home, had been uprooted and flooded our neighborhood. This turned out to be false, but our home was one of the three out of roughly 80 on our street not flooded or destroyed by fallen trees.
Days after Katrina hit, we were informed by a family friend that our house was OK, but there was no power and the water was far from safe, so we were going to be refugees in Memphis for a while. My parents decided to enroll my siblings and I in school until we could return home.
I remember how terrified I was to go to a new school. It wasn’t because I didn’t know anybody. No. It was because the school didn’t have uniforms and I had only packed three shirts and a couple pairs of shorts. When you’re in the sixth-grade, those silly things matter. I dreaded being the new kid who wore the same exact clothes at least twice a week.
However, a simple act of generosity relieved those worries on my second day at Appling Middle School. It was the middle of the day, and I, along with two other refugees, was called to the principal’s office. I had no idea what I was being called to the principal’s office for — again, at 12-years old, it was a terrifying thought — but it turned out to be a tremendous gift.
I’m not exactly sure how the money was raised, but we were all presented with a $100 gift card to Walmart. That night, my parents took me to buy some cheap clothes so that I wouldn’t have to wear the same clothes over and over. I hadn’t mentioned to anyone how insecure I was about potentially being the kid who had to wear the same clothes, but knowing that would no longer be the case was a big relief.
In hindsight, something so simple made a huge difference on me as a sixth-grade student in a new place. With what’s going on in Houston and the surrounding areas now reminds me of that scared 12-year old boy and breaks my heart for the children who will experience the same thing as a result of Harvey.
Personally, I don’t have a whole lot to give to those suffering in the aftermath in Texas right now. I live paycheck to paycheck like many of you do. But I donated $50 anyway. I know it’s not much, but to some scared sixth-grader out there going to a new school, it could mean everything.
There are millions upon millions of people right now who need our help. Whether it’s $5 or $500, whatever you give can make a difference.
Joshua Campbell is sports editor for The Columbian-Progress. He can be reached at (601) 736-2611 or by email at joshuacampbell@columbianprogress.com.
