“I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do.
–Atticus Finch, To Kill A Mockingbird
If you’ve read the Adios Lounge for any length of time, you probably know I have ties to Alabama. I graduated from the University of Alabama in 2000, spending two years in Tuscaloosa. Watching last week’s tornado methodically wipe out entire sections of T-Town was heartbreaking and terrifying. Tornadoes are a fact of life in the midwest and south, sure, but this was a mile-wide EF4 skullfucker that went Old Testament on Tuscaloosa. 15th St and McFarlane, a handful of blocks away from where Donnie Dove and I lived on 15th St and Queen City Ave, went from bustling student hub to non-existent in mere seconds.
It wasn’t just Tuscaloosa, of course. 28 separate tornadoes destroyed close to 30 counties in Alabama and parts of northwest Georgia. 236 Alabamians were killed, 40 in Tuscaloosa alone, and God knows how many are missing. It’s expected to cost $400 million to get the state up and running. That said, it’s been impressive to see the citizens of Alabama pick themselves up amidst their collective grief and get to rebuilding. Their response to the tragedy … and really, it’s multiple overlapping tragedies … has been truly courageous and the outpouring of generosity from people all over the country has been inspiring. Honestly, I’m proud to be associated with Alabama in my own small way. Below are a few links if you want to help out. Do what you can and maybe you’ll keep doing it. Roll Tide.
- American Red Cross – Make a $10 general donation by texting “REDCROSS” to 90999.
- Disaster Relief for Alabama – A comprehensive clearing house for just about every resource related to the relief efforts. (HT: Roll Bama Roll)
- Alabama Possible – Index of statewide relief resources.
- Legislative Barbie: Financial Assistance – Another index of statewide relief resources.
- Torpedos Against Tornados – Charlie Sheen’s donation site. This is real winning.
- Toomer’s for Tuscaloosa – Gotta give a War Damn Eagle to this righteous outpost of relief efforts in Alabama.
- Give Tuscaloosa – For basic human services and recovery efforts in the Tuscaloosa community and surrounding areas. And now we sing.
Here’s John Boutté covering Paul Simon‘s poignant, lyrical ode to perseverance written in the quaalude phase of the Nixon Administration. “You can’t be forever blessed/Still, tomorrow’s going to be another working day.” Life is hard and can be brutally unfair, but you have to power through, even if you feel like quitting. After all, you rarely win, but sometimes you do.
John Boutte, Paul Sanchez and Leroy Jones – American Tune
Sullivan Hall, NYC
January 9, 2008
Many times I’ve been mistaken
So many times confused
Yes, I’ve often felt forsaken
And certainly abused
Oh, but it’s all right, I’m all right
Just weary to my bones
Still, you don’t expect to be bright and bon vivant
So far away from home
So far away from home
And I don’t know a soul that’s not been battered
I don’t have a friend who feels at ease
I don’t know a dream that’s not been shattered
Or driven to its knees
Oh, but it’s all right, it’s all right
We’ve lived so well so long
Still, when I think of the road we’re traveling on
I wonder what’s gone wrong
I can’t help but wonder what’s gone wrong
And I dreamed I was dying
And I dreamed that my soul rose unexpectedly
While looking back down on me
Smiled reassuringly
And I dreamed I was flying
And high up above my eyes I could clearly see
The Statue of Liberty
Sailing away to sea
And I dreamed I was flying
We come on the ship they call the Amistad*
We come on the ship that sailed the moon
We come in the age’s most uncertain hour
And we sing an American tune
Oh, but it’s all right, it’s all right
You can’t be forever blessed
Still, tomorrow’s going to be another working day
And I’m trying to get some rest
That’s all I’m trying to get some rest.
* Simon wrote Mayflower, which is good. Amistad is better.
We lost 33 people last week in Mississippi from the same storms.
Watchin' the footage of that thing attacking Tuscaloosa…I know the place real well from goin' to games and workin' over there…it made me sick to my stomach and tornadoes are a pretty regular thing around here.
It look like a monster was rampaging the town.
EF, thanks for writing and sorry to hear about Mississippi. Missouri was also hit hard. Just a brutally insane week of weather.
I am a Tuscaloosa resident and fan of your blog, both of which I've been for a while. Thanks for the touching, thoughtful piece. The fact that I am also a high school teacher and am in the middle of reading To Kill a Mockingbird made this entry even more wonderful. Roll Tide.
Hope everyone involved in this blog is safe and well.
Thanks for writing. I'm actually the only person involved in this blog, so I was safe in California at the time of tornado. I've since set up the houndstooth ribbon link on the right sidebar, in case anyone wants to donate a little something to the recovery effort.