http://www.creekbank.net Bro. Curt Iles's stories from the creekbank Tue, 07 Sep 2010 02:01:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Website of author Curt Iles. Curt Iles no Curt Iles curtiles@aol.com curtiles@aol.com (Curt Iles) 2006-2007 Creekbank Stories creekbank, curt,iles, podcasts, stories, piney, woods, historical, fiction, wayfaring, good, place, bullet, spent, old, house, http://www.creekbank.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Log-rafters-photo-from-Harry-Methvin.bmp http://www.creekbank.net http://www.creekbank.net/tues-aug-17/ http://www.creekbank.net/tues-aug-17/#comments Tue, 17 Aug 2010 15:35:17 +0000 Curt Iles http://www.creekbank.net/?p=1624 http://www.creekbank.net/tues-aug-17/feed/ 0 We're getting ready for the 5th anniversary of two bad girls, Katrina and Rita. - Here is a podcast from my book about these events,  Hearts across the Water.  It's entitled "New Orleans: City I love; City I hate. We're getting ready for the 5th anniversary of two bad girls, Katrina and Rita. Here is a podcast from my book about these events,  Hearts across the Water.  It's entitled "New Orleans: City I love; City I hate." To subscribe to The Creekbank Podcast, go to iTunes Store and type in 'Creekbank Podcast' under artist/podcast. The text of the story is below.  It was written in late 2005 and is from the book, Hearts across the Water. New Orleans… City I love, City I hate Now as He (Jesus) drew near, He saw the city and wept over it. Luke 19:41-42 NKJV Only a native Louisianan can understand it.   And even we cannot fully grasp it. I wonder if some psychology doctoral student has ever written a dissertation on it: The unique love/hate relationship that exists between the state of Louisiana and the city of New Orleans. The best description of this long-term relationship is told by John Maginnis in his book, The Last Hayride: “New Orleans is part of the rest of Louisiana on the maps only-not in the minds of its residents…   New Orleans is its own world, a city and a state of mind separate and apart from the rest of the country, the South, and the state-especially the state. The average Orleanian will acknowledge there is a state of Louisiana, a vague, distant, desolate hinterland, somewhere 'across the lake.'  Thousands of adult Orleanians walking the streets have never set foot outside The City… The rest of Louisiana has this love-hate relationship with New Orleans.  The farther north you go, the more likely you are to run into people who revile New Orleans as a stinking sinkhole… Maginnis, a long-time Louisiana political observer, states it as well as I've heard. In traveling I meet many people whose first comment on knowing you are from Louisiana is to say,  "Oh, I've been to your state- I've visited New Orleans."   I love to shock them with this comment, "Oh no, that is not part of Louisiana.  In fact, it is its own country." During the winter at camp we host many Northern volunteers who all want to go visit New Orleans.  We remind them that their passport must be up to date to get in or out.  That draws some strange looks. New Orleans is like that eccentric uncle that every family has. (I have several).  You love them because they are family.  But you never know what they will do or say next.  They can just as easily embarrass you as make you proud. We love New Orleans. It is a great place to visit.  Like no other American city. Beignets at Café du Monde, riding the streetcars along St. Charles, The French Quarter, street musicians, Jackson Square, the aquarium, and the D-Day museum. One of the best experiences of my life was taking a group of East Beauregard basketball players to a tournament in New Orleans.  Most of these Sugartown and Dry Creek boys had never been there before.  Twenty plus years later they still comment on that trip when I see them. However, we rural Louisianans are embarrassed by New Orleans.  The homeless.  The crime. Oftentimes the murder capital of America.  Bourbon Street. My parents once took my older grandfather on a walking tour of Bourbon Street.  He ducked his head and sadly repeated over and over, "iniquity, iniquity." Even our Saints… such a love-hate relationship with our state. Resentment over footing the bill for the Superdome Yet loving and hoping for a championship…. Still waiting. I remember the first official game of the Saints. I was about 10 years old and their first regular season game was with the Los Angeles Rams.  The Saints received the opening kickoff and Walt Williams returned it 100 yards for a touchdown.   I thought to myself, "Man, we've got us a team!" As I said, we are still waiting. Much of the hate part of the Louisiana is due to our inferiority complex due to our bigger, older, and more famous sibling.  The first question an out of stater will ask is, Curt Iles no 6:39 http://www.creekbank.net/intro/ http://www.creekbank.net/intro/#comments Mon, 18 Jan 2010 20:26:35 +0000 Will http://www.creekbank.net/?p=1059 http://www.creekbank.net/intro/feed/ 0 Intro This is the introduction to my 2005 book, Hearts across the Water.  With the fifth anniversary of both Katrina and Rita approaching, it's a good time to hear about the memorable stories from a time we'll never forget. Intro This is the introduction to my 2005 book, Hearts across the Water.  With the fifth anniversary of both Katrina and Rita approaching, it's a good time to hear about the memorable stories from a time we'll never forget. Hearts Across the Water Intro Podcast: Will no 1:43 http://www.creekbank.net/podcasts/ http://www.creekbank.net/podcasts/#comments Mon, 18 Jan 2010 20:07:36 +0000 Will http://www.creekbank.net/?p=1052 http://www.creekbank.net/podcasts/feed/ 0 Dry Creek Haircut Dry Creek Haircut Will no