Treme: Finally the Day Has Come

I remember many months back when New Orleanians were teased with the prospect that the master of TV drama, David Simon, would be creating a TV drama set in post-Katrina New Orleans.  What was once speculation became truth as Simon set out to cast a band, pun intended, of New Orleans characters telling the story of the lives of local musicians (and a chef, and a dj, and a professor) living in New Orleans in the early aftermath of Katrina. 

It has been nearly five years since the storm crossed the Gulf and entered our dear city forever changing New Orleans as well as the people who called her home.  Even after all of that time, it is hard for me to reflect on those early days.  The days of fear and uncertainty and unrest.  When I think back to life in September of 2005, I still get the kind of pain in my stomach that I imagine is felt when you get sucker-punched in the gut.  When will that go away?  Will it?  I often wonder that.  But even with that feeling, I cannot wait to watch Treme tonight.  Because it is our story.  It is my story. 

It is the story of how ordinary people made a choice to return to and resurrect the only city they've ever known.  How ordinary people made a choice to get back to work living in conditions many would never dream of.  But they did it.  Everyone has a different reason why.  Maybe it was because it was the only choice they had.  Maybe it was because they wanted their children to know what life is like when you eat red beans every Monday.  Maybe it was because it's the only place in the world where a trumpet sounds as sweet as it does on a hot sticky night at the Maple Leaf Bar.  Maybe it was because iNew Orleans isn't just your home, it is a part of you that resides so deep in your soul you would cease to exist without it.

I, like all New Orleanians, are fiercely loyal to our dear city.  We are also very skeptical of those from "outside" who attempt to define our culture, our music, our accents, and our way of life under their terms.  But when this is done with care, respect, and love - like that that is clearly evident in the Treme trailer - we will welcome you with open arms.  We will ask that you continue to tell our story so that the world can see us as we see ourselves.  We are the sound of a trumpet, we are the beat of a drum, we are the call of the Mardi Gras Indian.  We are New Orleans.  Welcome to our little world!