Tragic, just tragic

“Only after disaster can we be resurrected” Chuck Palahniuk

I have a friend who is a quote machine. One of my favorites is “a tragedy is horrible, but to be tragic is pitiful”.

So, this is one of those absolutely, totally out of bounds, I’ll rot in hell, and never, ever “work in dis bidness again” subjects. So, get out your long ropes and get ready to hang me high.

I’m reading my umpteenth article about how New Orleans is struggling to get people to come back and visit their city. In these articles the blame is usually passed around to the government, the media, big business and God.

Now understand, I’ve been to NOLA many, many times. It’s one of my absolute favorite places in the world. Not just the country, the world. Like most everyone else I hurt for The Big Easy after Katrina. I donated money and chipped in any way I could. But over time it started to become like a South Park episode. It went from being a tragedy to becoming tragic.

Tragedies happen around the world constantly. We’re insulated from most of them, mainly because CNN and FOX choose to enlighten us about Britney Spears instead. But the fact is disasters happen, people suffer and then the survivors dig out and start over. It’s been that way for time eternal.

However, for some reason New Orleans is different. After all the public and private time and money they’re still “a tragedy”. Sorry N.O. you’ve become tragic. You live in a hurricane zone below sea level. Deal with it or get out. Here’s an offer. Come up to Michigan and live in cold, cloudy, crappy winter while it drags on till June when the only thing you have to look forward to a pseudo- summer in the worst economy in the country. (But they’re also surrounded by 20% of the World’s fresh water, something I suspect will soon become a large global bargaining chip.)

Here, kids, is the XOD lesson: Don’t ever let a tragedy become tragic. Business tragedies like human tragedies happen all the time. They can be caused by conditions over which you have no control. When they happen, deal with the aftermath quickly and professionally. But before the tragedy happens, look around. Are you in a hurricane zone living under sea level?