A Trip To New Orleans: An Epiphany Essays Examples

People go through different journeys in life to serve varied purposes. The most sought after trips would usually be for rest and relaxation. I remember my family planning summer trips to the nearest beach or to take part in summer camps. Of course, trips to visit other countries are regarded as dreams come true for many. There is one trip which I remembered making and affected my outlook of the world. In August of 2005 I decided to go to New Orleans to view the devastation that Hurricane Katrina inflicted. What I saw and experienced on that day significantly changed the way I perceive the world.
People from all over the world were keenly attuned to the news when Hurricane Katrina lambasted New Orleans on the 29th of August, 2005. Though the state officials had announced that people residing from low lying areas should evacuate to higher grounds, the unexpected strength of the storm inundated New Orleans with flood water. As heard from news reports then, the flooding was exacerbated by the collapse of old and neglected levee system. Despite stringent efforts for disaster management and control, the loss of lives and properties were extraordinarily magnanimous. As such, my friends and I decided to go to New Orleans as soon as the floods subsided. The site that beheld us was disturbingly moving. The place was almost deserted. The families that opted to go back to their forlorn houses were seen to behave with heavy hearts. There was mud everywhere. The vehicles were in chaotic arrangements. The pile of garbage, debris, tattered clothes, destroyed household equipment and furniture were everywhere. The place was a wasteland. New Orleans seemed like a deserted piece of land which had been haplessly violated by Mother Nature. There was no infrastructure in sight which was preserved in their previously pristine and standing condition.
Likewise, more than the sheer expansive extent of the destruction and devastation in properties seen, the atmosphere was one of isolation. The families who returned tried to salvage whatever they can from their homes. One could just empathize with the members of these families who were gravely affected by the storm. I could feel the heavy burden in their hearts. I could imagine the parents of children who died in the floods. It seemed that I could hear the silent cries of children whose parents perished in the storm. I could see the faces of fathers who labored endlessly to build their houses only to be destroyed by the disaster. I could imagine the anguish of mothers whose lives are drastically changed: from optimistic anticipation of a good life to insurmountable efforts for rebuilding.
The trip to New Orleans was an epiphany. I was previously a happy-go-lucky person with priorities for serving personal interests and needs. With what I had seen, everything changed. My priorities shifted. I recognized that there are more important things that achieving personal goals. At that instant, my friends and I pledged that we would do whatever we can to help. In our own simple ways, we started seeking assistance from other peers and acquaintances. I developed a genuine desire to be part of the rebuilding process: rebuilding of these people’s lives. The disaster that wreaked havoc on the lives and properties of people at New Orleans will always be remembered as the turning point in my life. I started participating in volunteer programs. I am particularly interested to help families who were displaced by storms. There is much to do in terms of soliciting clothes, food, medicines, and emergency items which are mostly needed to recover from the impact of a disaster. I enrolled in classes that developed my competencies in providing first aid and CPR. Likewise, I found fulfillment in giving. I realized that giving does not necessarily mean that I have to shell out financial assistance to others. I acknowledged that giving entails unselfish sharing of one’s time, efforts, and whatever resources I could solicit from willing donors to be endorsed to the needy.
In retrospect, I affirm that in some most unexpected places and events, people are provided with opportunities to change for the better. It was unfortunate that so many lives had been negatively affected by Hurricane Katrina. I am sure that families who lost their loved ones, or their homes and properties would look back with deepest regrets. I, too, share the heavy feeling and empathy for these families. I am confident, though, that the challenges and difficulties faced in that disaster enabled the gathering and development of immense strength to face the future with hope. Seeing the resilience of people in times of adversities stirred a burning desire to look beyond insignificant things and focus more on what we, as human beings, could do for needy. For me, the trip to New Orleans was a revelation. The disaster provided the transformation that helped me become a better person – someone more extrinsically motivated to serve the best interests and needs of others.