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<DIV><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff size=2>Hi All</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff size=2>This piece, just in from my
friend Janet McCallen in Hiawassee, Georgia, may make you smile too ...
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff size=2>With love</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff size=2>Alan</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT size=2>Hong Kong
</FONT> </FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><EM><FONT face=Arial color=#800080 size=2></FONT></EM> </DIV>
<DIV><EM><FONT face=Arial color=#800080 size=2></FONT></EM> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A
title=janetmccallen@alltel.net href="mailto:janetmccallen@alltel.net">Janet
McCallen</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=janet@janetmccallen.com
href="mailto:janet@janetmccallen.com">Janet McCallen</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, September 07, 2005 6:54 AM</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> Louisiana Ambassadors Say Hello</DIV></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#000080 size=2><SPAN
class=981265022-06092005>I've been a little bit obsessed with what happened in
New Orleans. Here's a piece copied from the New Orleans <STRONG>Times
Picayune</STRONG>, by Chris Rose. I hope you all will enjoy it as much as
I did, since evacuees from Katrina are probably in your community, as they are
near ours. It made me smile - and smiles are to be cherished and
shared.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#000080 size=2><SPAN
class=981265022-06092005></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#000080 size=2><SPAN
class=981265022-06092005>******</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Dear America, <BR><BR>I suppose we should introduce
ourselves: We're South Louisiana.<BR><BR>We have arrived on your doorstep on
short notice and we apologize for that, but we never were much for waiting
around for invitations. We're not much on formalities like that.<BR><BR>And we
might be staying around your town for a while, enrolling in your schools and
looking for jobs, so we wanted to tell you a few things about us. We know you
didn't ask for this and neither did we, so we're just going to have to make the
best of it.<BR><BR>First of all, we thank you. For your money, your water, your
food, your prayers, your boats and buses and the men and women of your National
Guards, fire departments, hospitals and everyone else who has come to our
rescue.<BR><BR>We're a fiercely proud and independent people, and we don't
cotton much to outside interference, but we're not ashamed to accept help when
we need it. And right now, we need it.<BR><BR>Just don't get carried away. For
instance, once we get around to fishing again, don't try to tell us what kind of
lures work best in your waters. <BR><BR>We're not going to listen. We're
stubborn that way.<BR><BR>You probably already know that we talk funny and
listen to strange music and eat things you'd probably hire an exterminator to
get out of your yard.<BR><BR>We dance even if there's no radio. We drink at
funerals. We talk too much and laugh too loud and live too large and, frankly,
we're suspicious of others who don't.<BR><BR>But we'll try not to judge you
while we're in your town.<BR><BR>Everybody loves their home, we know that. But
we love South Louisiana with a ferocity that borders on the pathological.
Sometimes we bury our dead in LSU sweatshirts.<BR><BR>Often we don't make sense.
You may wonder why, for instance - if we could only carry one small bag of
belongings with us on our journey to your state - why in God's name did we bring
a pair of shrimp boots?<BR><BR>We can't really explain that. It is what it
is.<BR><BR>You've probably heard that many of us stayed behind. As bad as it is,
many of us cannot fathom a life outside of our border, out in that place we call
Elsewhere.<BR><BR>The only way you could understand that is if you have been
there, and so many of you have. So you realize that when you strip away all the
craziness and bars and parades and music and architecture and all that hooey,
really, the best thing about where we come from is us. <BR><BR>We are what made
this place a national treasure. We're good people. And don't be afraid to ask us
how to pronounce our names. It happens all the time.<BR><BR>When you meet us now
and you look into our eyes, you will see the saddest story ever told. Our hearts
are broken into a thousand pieces. <BR><BR>But don't pity us. We're gonna make
it. We're resilient. After all, we've been rooting for the Saints for 35 years.
That's got to count for something.<BR><BR>OK, maybe something else you should
know is that we make jokes at inappropriate times. <BR><BR>But what the
hell.<BR><BR>And one more thing: In our part of the country, we're used to
having visitors. It's our way of life.<BR><BR>So when all this is over and we
move back home, we will repay to you the hospitality and generosity of spirit
you offer to us in this season of our despair.<BR><BR>That is our promise. That
is our faith.<BR><BR>Chris Rose can be reached at <A
href="mailto:noroses@bellsouth.net">noroses@bellsouth.net</A>.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><EM><FONT face=Arial color=#800080 size=2>Janet G.
McCallen</FONT></EM></DIV>
<DIV align=left><EM><FONT face=Arial color=#800080 size=2>Writer, Dilettante,
Jewelry-Maker</FONT></EM></DIV>
<DIV align=left><EM><FONT face=Arial color=#800080 size=2>Facilitator of
effectiveness through rich conversation</FONT></EM></DIV>
<DIV align=left><EM><FONT face=Arial color=#800080
size=2></FONT></EM> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><EM><FONT face=Arial color=#800080 size=2><A
href="http://www.janetmccallen.com/">www.janetmccallen.com</A></FONT></EM></DIV>
<DIV align=left><EM><FONT face=Arial color=#800080 size=2><A
href="mailto:janetmccallen@alltel.net">janetmccallen@alltel.net</A></FONT></EM></DIV>
<DIV align=left><EM><FONT face=Arial color=#800080 size=2></FONT></EM></DIV>
<DIV align=left><EM><FONT face=Arial color=#800080 size=2>209-A Berrong
Street</FONT></EM></DIV>
<DIV align=left><EM><FONT face=Arial color=#800080 size=2>Hiawassee, GA
30546</FONT></EM></DIV>
<DIV align=left><EM><FONT face=Arial color=#800080
size=2>706.896.9435</FONT></EM></DIV>
<DIV align=left><EM><FONT face=Arial color=#800080
size=2></FONT></EM> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><EM><FONT face=Arial color=#800080 size=2>Cell:
770.331.2434</FONT></EM></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#000080 size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#008080 size=2><EM>Feel free to
forward this e-mail to others who might be interested; they can subscribe by
e-mailing me.</EM></FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#008080
size=2><EM></EM></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#008080 size=2><EM>You are
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<DIV align=left><EM><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#008080
size=2></FONT></EM> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><EM><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#008080 size=1>(c) 2005
Janet G. McCallen</FONT></EM></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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