Minutes to Memories

I took this picture of Biloxi Beach today after visiting my friend, Hezekiah, simply to show how things continue to look there today. Oh, there are signs of life: new condominiums on the rise, a brand new playground, and sunbathers basking in the sun on the sparkling white sand. But in between looks… well, like the picture shows…

I have a new answer to the maddening question from those far away: “Well, are things getting back to normal down there?”

“No” remains the best (and cleanest) answer, but I have an analogy to offer now, too.

Imagine being in a horrible car wreck. You suffer internal injuries, several broken bones, along with head trauma. You undergo several major surgeries and spend months in rehabilitation. Then, you go home. Are you back to normal then?

Of course not. There are scars that will not go away, parts of your body that do not work as they did before, and psychological issues about ever driving again.

That’s us. We are permanently scarred, and parts of what we called home will never work the way they did before again. We’re even unsure of life in general.

But we’re still here. Surviving. Making the best out of a new type of existence.

But it’s far from getting back to normal.

It won’t ever be normal again.