Gulf Coast

I’m a lucky guy, as fortunate as they come. Once again I’m at a brand new location, a place I have never been, that place is the Gulf Coast, a wonderfully unique region of the United States. Since I’ve been back from Hawaii I’ve had out all of my winter clothes, hoodies, and packed away my sandals. Yesterday I had my sandals back on as I walked along the Gulf Coast beach here in Gulfport. Looking out on the ocean is a feeling that doesn’t compare to anything else. With the sun in my face and my feet buried in the sand I looked out as far as the eyes could see where the ocean meets the sky.

This morning I headed to Mississippi City United Methodist Church and was welcomed by a tender and sweet congregation. Since the storm over a year ago they have been worshiping in a makeshift sanctuary just another block or two away from the devastated church. All of these folks went through a lot with Katrina and I still can’t fathom what it would be like to have this happen to my home. It’s a long process to recovery.

Through the trip I’ve been trying to cover as many demographics, diversity, and varieties of people as possible. Truly, Gulfport is being represented by a few elderly folks in their 70s and 80s. In short, my maturity has grown beyond what I would have imagined six months ago. In my sociology classes we talked a lot about minorities and those that are underrepresented and the older generations fall into those categories more than people realize. However, they’re the greatest teachers we have. They grab my full attention when they tell me about their generation and going through World War II and so many other historical events that I can’t entirely grasp. Surely, it is the older generations that have the most respect for my trip. Sometimes younger people who I talk to about my trip respond by saying, “I just don’t get it.” Not once has the older generations said that. They simply get it. They understand the value of experiencing the country and how fortunate we are to live in the United States. I’m thankful for it.