Ike's Impact on Galveston
My cousin was preserved from drowning at the Galveston beach when a young boy. Here is his shortened version of the story.... I did drown. 3 minutes with no pulse. At least that’s the story I always heard from my parents. (His dad was raised in Christian Science although had his own lifestyle, prayed for him and he revived.) When I was 6 I drowned, but was saved. When I was 15 I was hit by a car while riding my bike, but was saved. And when I was 26 I was in a head-on collision with a drunk driver that should have killed me, but I was saved. God has a purpose for me, even if maybe I haven’t found it yet.
The following are my cousin's remarks on Hurricane Ike.....
Hurricane Ike will cost a lot more than mere dollars.
Galveston was not the same as Key West. It lacked the extreme leanings and attitudes, but it shared in the sense of get-away-for-the-weekend excitement. The water was not clear and blue like Florida, but it was OUR warm water, OUR Gulf, OUR beach.
It had culture (The Grand Oprah House), class (The Strand), and fun (Dickens on the Strand, Mardi Gras). Gaido’s Seafood is a landmark, as was Murdoch’s Souveniers (destroyed), The Flagship Hotel extending out into the water (seriously damaged), and the last of the renegade gambling houses, known as The Balinese Room (ZZ Top even wrote a song about it!) is now gone.
It also provided a sanctuary for many many folks that used it as a place to escape the hubbub of Houston and the frenetic pace of the workweek. Some folks never intended to leave, come hell or high water - literally. The famous 16ft. Galveston seawall saved the island this time…..it did it’s job just like it was supposed to do. But the seawall only goes so far. Once it ends, you’re on your own.
There have been others that left this earth doing what they loved…….golfers that died on the course; pilots in plane crashes; surfers overcome by waves. But those folks made a choice to SEEK the adventure. Those lost during Ike were minding their own business, just trying to hang on to an adventure that knocked on their door.
For those with memories of Galveston past, it will never be the same. I have a particularly strong memory of Galveston, one that had taken many years to overcome. I had the best trip ever there during June of this year. I even put a toe in the water on West Beach. But now, with all of the stories and news coverage, I think I’ve seen enough of Galveston, enough to last a lifetime. For me anyway, it will just never be the same.
- Tim Goodman
The following are my cousin's remarks on Hurricane Ike.....
Hurricane Ike will cost a lot more than mere dollars.
Galveston was not the same as Key West. It lacked the extreme leanings and attitudes, but it shared in the sense of get-away-for-the-weekend excitement. The water was not clear and blue like Florida, but it was OUR warm water, OUR Gulf, OUR beach.
It had culture (The Grand Oprah House), class (The Strand), and fun (Dickens on the Strand, Mardi Gras). Gaido’s Seafood is a landmark, as was Murdoch’s Souveniers (destroyed), The Flagship Hotel extending out into the water (seriously damaged), and the last of the renegade gambling houses, known as The Balinese Room (ZZ Top even wrote a song about it!) is now gone.
It also provided a sanctuary for many many folks that used it as a place to escape the hubbub of Houston and the frenetic pace of the workweek. Some folks never intended to leave, come hell or high water - literally. The famous 16ft. Galveston seawall saved the island this time…..it did it’s job just like it was supposed to do. But the seawall only goes so far. Once it ends, you’re on your own.
There have been others that left this earth doing what they loved…….golfers that died on the course; pilots in plane crashes; surfers overcome by waves. But those folks made a choice to SEEK the adventure. Those lost during Ike were minding their own business, just trying to hang on to an adventure that knocked on their door.
For those with memories of Galveston past, it will never be the same. I have a particularly strong memory of Galveston, one that had taken many years to overcome. I had the best trip ever there during June of this year. I even put a toe in the water on West Beach. But now, with all of the stories and news coverage, I think I’ve seen enough of Galveston, enough to last a lifetime. For me anyway, it will just never be the same.
- Tim Goodman
posted by Elise L. Moore, C.S.B. @ Saturday, October 04, 2008
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