New Orleans Blog: Intro

I’m going to New Orleans on Saturday. Mostly it’s because I want to experience the most significant event in recent American History firsthand. To make it feel a little less ghoulish and voyeuristic, I’ve arranged to spend the week painting public schools with an organization out of Tulane; to make it feel a little less Travels with Charley, I’ve replaced my imaginary poodle with the all too real Paul O’Brien (equity derivatives analyst for JP Morgan, London) and Matthew Kantor (fellow New York City public school teacher).

I’m also recording the experience in a blog. I’m pretty confident about my reasons for the trip; I’m less sure about why I want to write it all down. And take pictures of it, presumably. And have those words read (and pictures scrutinized) by a select audience. Frankly, it reeks of egotism. It’s not journalism – given the fact that everyone reading this probably knows me, there’s no way this can be about objectivity, since every word you read is filtered through the lens of our pre-existing relationship, intimate or distant as it may be. So I think it’s best just to be honest: this is for me, basically. I need something to focus this trip, to force it into perspective, so it doesn’t go the way of the dozen other dimly remembered adventures filed away in my psyche, gathering dust. I’m a teacher, and I want to learn from this. I learn through writing. I’ve been writing for a few years now, I think I’ve developed a knack for it, and maybe I’m ready for an audience. For those of you reading this, if you find it engaging, if you’re curious, then check back in a couple of days. But don’t sweat it too much; for my purposes, the illusion of a reader is as good as the reality.

-Dan