A Little Bit of Magic

Sad day, huh?

Katrina seems to become more and more devastating as the days go by. The living conditions, if you can call it that, in the Superdome are supposedly awful. People are getting raped and trying to kill themselves, according to some reports. Could it really be the same Superdome where I watched a pro football game? It saddens my heart.

I can't believe the way some people take advantage of this situation. Fine, you're poor and your children are starving. I can somewhat understand those stealing food out of desperation. But what in God's name are you doing stealing a TV? And why do you need firearms? People have completely lost their minds. I wish people would pull together in this time of need. It's as if America all of a sudden became a third-world country. What's sad is that we're the ones that step in and help other countries in their time of need. Why do we seem to be having such a hard time helping ourselves?

Seems everyone's reflecting on visits past to New Orleans. Hurricanes at Pat O'Briens and Mardi Gras beads color many people's memories. It was just this feeling of festivity that swept through the city. That's all been replaced by total devastation. I can remember getting powdered sugar all over my lap from eating beignets at Cafe du Monde. I remember shopping at the mall at Canal Place and pretending to the sales clerks that I could afford the items in Saks and Gucci. I remember my honeymoon there, and walking the streets hand-in-hand knowing that I'd only been a Mrs. for 24 hours. The mouth-watering food at Emeril's...oh the food!

And Dennis Quaid.

I went to New Orleans when I was in college to visit a friend. We were eating at this place called Cafe Rani (which I remember because that's my mom's name) and we saw in a paper that Dennis Quaid & The Sharks would be performing at the House of Blues. Of course I had to go for the chance to have a glimpse at a celebrity!

I changed outfits at least five times, and I still think I picked the wrong thing to wear. Anyway, my friends and I danced our hearts out in the second row behind this woman with "poodle hair." After the show, I informed my non-believing friends that I was going to meet DQ. Of course I called him DQ at this point in the night because I knew we would be fast friends. Hector, the security guard, was as sweet as could be, but wouldn't let me go upstairs to meet DQ. Finally, after being really sweet to Hector and pouring on the Southern charm, he looked away. This was my chance. I sped up the stairs, leaving my friends behind. They were standing across the bar, thinking I was just being silly.

The next thing they knew, they looked up and saw me up on the second floor, chatting with Dennis Quaid himself. I marched right up to him.

"Hello. I'm Anisa," I said amazingly calmly.
"Nice to meet you, Anisa."
"I know this is an odd question, but do you have a pen?"
"Does anyone have a pen?" Dennis shouted.

Dennis Quaid got me a pen so he could give me an autograph. We chatted, and he was so gracious. Wrinkly, but gracious. My friends, of course, appeared behind me moments later.

"Girls, I'd like you to meet Dennis," I said.

Hey, it was a once in a lifetime chance to do that. It was fabulous introducing Dennis to my girlfriends as if he and I were best friends.

We all walked home to my friend's French Quarter apartment, smiles on our faces.

Looking back, it wasn't simply the elation from meeting a celebrity. It was the fact that anything's possible in New Orleans. Underneath the twinkling stars in that city, I too, felt like a celebrity for a moment. It was almost magical.

And I have to believe that "anything is possible" spirit will prevail. I have to believe the citizens will pull themselves together and relief will come. I have to believe America will help one of her crown jewels out of this disaster.

Because I believe that I will once again stand under that same starry night sky and know that in New Orleans, a little bit of magic really is possible.