I think that life has changed dramatically, even if you wouldn\'t know if by walking down St. Charles. For me, it meant being jobless for three months, constantly moving around, not knowing if our house was there or gone, not knowing if friends or family lived or died. It was the experience of the storm itself, which was a central moment in my existence that I refused to record on camera and will still never forget. \r\nIt has also meant that I\'m now living in a house that is still unfinished after flooding 18 inches. I no longer live in New Orleans proper, which saddens me. I no longer work in the film industry, but in food service, where customers regularly demean me and my education is squandered. These are things that, especially after the 1 year anniversary of Katrina, I know I can change. We will finish fixing the house, I will get a job that is satisfying professionally and financially, and it will contribute to the rebuilding of this city. \r\nLife for the city stopped on August 29, 2005, and in some places it still hasn\'t started. I remember it being so gray and bleak here when I came back at the beginning of October. Familiar places weren\'t recognizable; it was like someone turned the color dial down to black and white. Now we\'ve at least seen greenery and wildlife spring up a bit. The CBD and Uptown are mostly back in business, and the French Quarter is doing fine. But venture out of those areas - into Lakeview, Broadmoor, the 9th Ward - and the facade becomes transparent, and even silly. Look at all those ruined homes untouched! Look at all those FEMA trailers! When are the bills providing financial relief going to be passed? When will people who need the money actually get it? \r\nI am confident that I can turn my own Katrina-related difficulties around. I am blessed to have a loving partner and two dogs with a roof over our heads and a source of income. I try to keep my woes in perspective. Perhaps I need to revisit the 9th Ward again, just to remind myself exactly what others have lost compared to me. \r\nNew Orleans and I are both going to recover. I just hope that I\'m still here when the city is truly back on her feet and dancing her second line.