My life has had a lot of
changes since I first started building web pages. My Son; age24 came back
in my life. Well in the last 12 months we have had the pleasure of pulling
a few motors and putting some into cars. When I was 16 and carring
Joe I spent most of my time reading Hot Rod Magizines. His dad Had a 67
two door Ford Farlane with blue with a white top. Bright shinny mag cragers.
In the earlier 70 our week ends were spent crusin the lake front. Back
then we had what was called a drive in theater. Where Bruce Lee was always
on the screen showing off his new karate moves. Though we didn't get to
see much of that from looking through the fogged up windows. We would leave
the speaker outside hanging on the pole and crank up some good sounds on
the new 8 track tape player, like Fleetwood Mac or the Rolling Stones.
When Lil Joe was 9 months old our marriage ended.
I live in New Orleans and have 4 children and have been married 3 times.
I was born in New Orleans as my parents were passing through and raised
on a travlin carnival. Where we moved every week from town to town. So
as a child I didn't get to go to school. But we all worked from sun up
till sun down. Most weekdays we didn't have lights or water. It took me 20 years
of searching and seeking for the answers. the only time I had ever heard
the name God as a child was in a bad way. After leaving home at 12 with
less then a 1st grade education. after being told the only way out of this
abuse was for me to run away from the carnival. Being arrested thrown into
an adult jail held for 4 months then transported to juvy center. Being
raped by a night gaurd repeatally while jailed. during my stay there I
was placed in the front cell so i would be near the officers desk. On the
2ed night there a man was brought in he was badly beaten this man had just
shot and killed a officer for being with his wife. He was still in hand
cuffs and 6 or 7 policemen came in and attacked him with billy clubs. As
I watched I was trembeling in fear for this man life not knowing what happened
that lead up to this. The man was placed in the next cell from me I stayed
up most of the night listen to his story of why that happened to him. I
remember him telling me that the man with the badge can do anything he
wants to and get away with it cause he has the law behide him. Well after
that night I knew I couldn't say anything to anyone of what was about to
happen to me there. After 3 months in that hell hole, Into reform school
for 3 years while I was there I went through 8 different foster homes,
back to reform school only for that to be closed down and I was sent back
to the carnival (winter quarters) 50 miles from here. To people who only
care about me, knowing how to make change and how much free work they could
get out of me for free. At the age of 16 married and pregent.When My son
was 9 months when the marriage ended. At the age of 4 Lil Joe went with
his dad on his weekend visitation and never returned. At this time in my
life I was living with my second sons father that had taken me in off the
street after his wife died, I meet his family through my husband which
a lot of his childhood was spent at there house. My husband Joe and his
2ed son was best friends. He offered me a place to stay and I took it.
Manuel was 29 years older then me, I was 17 and he was 46. He had 5 children
older then me. At 18 I gave birth to his 6 child and my 2ed. Troy was 5
days old his first trip to the camp that was a 40min car ride and 30 min
boat ride from the landing dock.
We lived in a camp on the bayou for 3 weeks and one week at his house in
town out the month . Everyday was truely an adventure. While the boys were
lil I would stay at the camp and do all the skinning and cleaning the wild
game that was caught in the traps over night. Looking back at those times.
It seems as though time stood still. Wakeing up in the morning and takeing
a walk to the end of the dock and diving in was the most refreshing part
of the day. Then off to the hard work that would last well after dark to
perpare for the next day. With both babies in dipers and only an old wash
tub and scrub board that would take a few hours to get the cloths on the
line to dry. By that time the boats were coming in with the catch from
the traps. Sometimes they would have high as 25-45 nutrials for me to skin,
board and dry for the fer-buyers. And 10 to 20 alligators. The largest
alligator I have ever skin was a 15 footer. After all the work of the day
was done. We had no T.V.s or radios to listen to so we would sit around
in the camp listening to old cajun and gangster storys, by the dem lights
of a colman light hanging down from the middle of the room, Manuel was
a good story teller though he was not an educated man. He worked for Carlos
Marcelos for 30 years. Carlos was the Mob Boss of New Orleans. Sometimes
I would thing this is better the watching Bonni and Clyde movies. Within
that 3 years of making a living by hunting traping and fishing the land.
Lil Joe loved it out there we would sit on the dock and fish for hours
I tought him what I had learned. When I was 20 my son was taken from me
not knowing where to turn I went to work as a taxi cab driver in hopes
that I could find him and get him back. When I would go to the courts I
was told if you can get an address of where they are keeping him then we
can help get him back for you. In 79 while I was driving my cab a customer
calls for a cab and I was sent to get him. He got in and thought I was
easy prey for him to have his way with me and rob me. He riped my cloths
and lil did him know I had a gun, needless to say it was his last attack
on any women or child. When I was brought to the police station I found
out he was just releaced from prison for raping a 5 year old lil girl.
To any guys reading this remember this: NEVER under estamate the power
of a Women !!
Thank God I got out of that one
Alive or I wouldn't be here to tell about it. After that I didn't stay
in one place for a long time. I went to work on some shrimp boats in the
Gulf as a cook/deck hand for about 3 or 4 months then I ran with some bikers
in florida for a while. Drove Hot-Shot trucks in the southern states delivering
oil field equipment. Then I drove dump trucks in Tenn. and Ark. came back
to Louisiana went to a trade school for a few months for welding in Gonzalas.
Then came back to New Orleans cause I had my mind set on finding my son
and his brother Troy was staying with his dad here. I wanted to be where
they always could find me. So I went to work at a ship yard here and after
a few months I meet Barry he was a welder in another ship yard. We started
dating and a few months after that I moved in with him. We got married
and I had my 3ed child it was his first child. While pregent I went to
night school and got my GED.
I am the only person in my family
that finished and got a diploma. I do have to say at the age of 27 it felt
Great to get that, from where I had come from that was a miracle in its
self. At 30 I was in collage wanting to learn more about accounting since
I never learned how to manage money right. Seeing after all the dollars
that passed through my fingers and non of them stuck.lol I fugured what
did I have to lose. Then had no chose but to give that up after my 4th
child was here and needed me more the the school did. See this perfact
lil girl and knowing all that I had been through not wanting to take any
chances with her life. I just decided to wait on my education for the time
being. Cause of her well being was much more important to me then all the
money in the world. Once she started kindergarden I became a volunteer
and was at her school each day since then. Well I think me being there
to look out for her and help other kids ,too. Then I was doing some good
in this world. Children are so wonderful to work with and the most rewarding
of all is seeing them learn something new. Right now my daugther is 11
years old and knows more about cars then most men I know. Thats amazing
to me.
When we finished rebuilding the motor in my car and I started it up. Her
lil eyes showed so much pride cause she knew she had a big part in making
it possible. Cause I let her help me she now knows she is able to do much
more then before.
No matter what life has in store
for us just knowing that others have had to face difficult times in their
lives, Can help us to realize that we too can over come the hard times
and go one with our lifes. And become even stronger for it.
Joe and I did get to go fishing
since our reunion in sept.97 and as we both tied our hooks on the lines,
I looked up and noticed the way he was doing it was the way I showed him
20 years back. Standing there watching my son after not being aloud to
see him for 19 years was a real dream come true for me. What a miracle
that day was for me.
I think coming from a background
of this kind it can make a person mentally handicap for the rest of their
lives and it takes a lifetime to over come it. Leaving the carney life
at 12 yrs. old and coming home to my birth place helped me to have a better
understanding of what life is suppost to be for me and my youngest children.
Learning the ways of the cajun people has been an enlighten exparence of
a life time. I am glad I cam home where I was born cause it gives me a
since of belonging.
Barry and I have been married for 16 years now
and living happy raising our 15 year old son Lil Barry and our daughter
Lila 11. Well I guess you could say its a bit of a cindarella story come
true for me.
Life in itself is truly a miracle and is worth
it. So no matter how things may seem and that theres no hope remember we
all go through
some kind of trails and tribulations. So have
faith that things can and will get better with desires of a better life
in the future.
Where theres a will theres a way so keep looking
till you find it.
Words from one of my favorite songs"Life is something unperdictable
but in the end its right. I hope you have the time of your life."
Between the red hills of North
Louisiana and the blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico, lives the Cajun. Among
the marshes and the bayous, the tall oaks and whispering moss he carries
on the traditions of his hardy Nova Scotian ancestors, les Acadiens, whose
flight from persecution brought them to the lush South Louisiana soil over
two centuries ago.
In other parts of the world, little
girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice, while little boys
are made of snips and snails and puppy dog tails. Little Cajun children
- or, Acadian, if you will - are made of gumbo, boudin and sauce piquante
. . . crawfish stew and Oreilles de Cochon.
A Cajun child is given bayous to
fish in, marshes to trap in, room to grow in and churches to worship in.
A Cajun likes fiddles and accordions
in his music, plenty of pepper in his courtbouillon, shrimp in his nets,
speed in his horses, neighborliness in his neighbors and love in his home.
A Cajun dislikes: people who don't
laugh enough, fish enough, or enjoy enough of all the good things God has
given to the Cajun Country. He doesn't like to be hurried when he's resting
or distracted when he's working. He doesn't like to see people unhappy,
and he'll do all he can or give all he has to bring a smile to a face stricken
with sadness.
A Cajun likes to dance and laugh
and sing when his week of hard work has ended. And just as Saturday night
at the fais-do-do replenishes his store of energy and his personal balance
so he can meet the next week's chores with vigor . . . Sunday at Church
refreshes his spiritual and moral values and keeps strong his always sustaining
faith.
A link with a proud past, a Cajun
is a man of tolerance who will let the world go its way if the world will
let him go his. He is a man of great friendliness who will give you the
crawfish off his table, the Sac-au-Lait off his hook or the shirt off his
back. But if you cross a Cajun, he'll give you the back of his hand or
the toe of his boot. If he likes you, he'll give you his whole wide, wonderful
world. If he doesn't, he'll give you a wide berth.
A Cajun is a complex person, with
as many ingredients in his makeup as there are in the gumbo Mama makes
for special company.
He has tolerance for those who
earn it ... charity for those who need it ... a smile for those who will
return it ... and love for all who will share it. BUT ... a Cajun can be
as stubborn as a mule and as ornery as an alligator. If he sets his head
on something, he'll fight a circle saw before he'll yield to your opinions.
You'd as well argue with a fence post as try to change the mind of a Cajun.
And, as fun-loving as he is, a
Cajun can work as long and hard as any man. He carved out'Acadiana"
by hand, from the swamps and marshes and uncultivated prairies. But when
the work is done and the argument ended, a Cajun can sweep you right into
a wonderful world of joie de vivre with an accordion chorus of "Jolie
Blonde," and a handful of happy little words.
..five little words to be exact:
"Laissez les bon temps rouller!" Let the good times roll!
