re-sil-ience
re-sil-ience: ability to recover readily from illness, depression, adversity, or the like; buoyancy.
We saw it this week. Saw it from Ms. Carol, DJ Brice, Richard, and the rest. "And that's everyone else too,"said Bob, as he described his rebuilding process acknowledging that he, like his neighbors, is just one story of thousands. Is this resilience just human nature? Hopefully. But from what I've seen here in Mississippi, I'm not so sure if it isn't something special, something unique to these people, their culture, and their experience. This nascent resiliency manifested itself more each day, eventually permeating the mindset of my group members and me.
Being from the "North Country," as one resident of Waveland put it, I don't hear much about Mississippi. Aside from directly after the storm, when CNN called Waveland "the city wiped completely off the map," the ninth ward and other parts of New Orleans have dominated the already thin news coverage. I'm not blaming the media' it's not easy reporting, and progress is slow and often unsightly.
But back to the Magnolia State. Up North I hear the statistics: Mississippi's education system rated last in the nation, trading off the fifty spot year to year with Louisiana; Mississippi's obesity ratings highest in the country; Mississippi's income per capita near the bottom of the fifty states. What I don't hear is what I experienced: a people with an outlook on life not seen in statistics. The residents of Hancock County and the greater Mississippi Gulf have an extraordinary blend of strength, humility, and pride. I have seen such qualities in few people, and know their resiliency is due to their volitions. The people of Hancock County have shown me much more than I could ever show them. I am a better for knowing them.
Billy Skarinka
We saw it this week. Saw it from Ms. Carol, DJ Brice, Richard, and the rest. "And that's everyone else too,"said Bob, as he described his rebuilding process acknowledging that he, like his neighbors, is just one story of thousands. Is this resilience just human nature? Hopefully. But from what I've seen here in Mississippi, I'm not so sure if it isn't something special, something unique to these people, their culture, and their experience. This nascent resiliency manifested itself more each day, eventually permeating the mindset of my group members and me.
Being from the "North Country," as one resident of Waveland put it, I don't hear much about Mississippi. Aside from directly after the storm, when CNN called Waveland "the city wiped completely off the map," the ninth ward and other parts of New Orleans have dominated the already thin news coverage. I'm not blaming the media' it's not easy reporting, and progress is slow and often unsightly.
But back to the Magnolia State. Up North I hear the statistics: Mississippi's education system rated last in the nation, trading off the fifty spot year to year with Louisiana; Mississippi's obesity ratings highest in the country; Mississippi's income per capita near the bottom of the fifty states. What I don't hear is what I experienced: a people with an outlook on life not seen in statistics. The residents of Hancock County and the greater Mississippi Gulf have an extraordinary blend of strength, humility, and pride. I have seen such qualities in few people, and know their resiliency is due to their volitions. The people of Hancock County have shown me much more than I could ever show them. I am a better for knowing them.
Billy Skarinka
