So I'm going to St. Bernard Parish

Ok. Right. Here goes.

So, my employer, being a socially responsible company, and also being composed of exceptionally Nice People, is funding a team of ten of us to go to St. Bernard Parish in Louisiana. St. Bernard Parish is east of New Orleans, and is essentially swampland. Very low-lying, and therefore susceptible to flooding. Many, many houses in the area were flooded when Katrina hit, and many people are still in need of assistance. Our purpose is to help the Habitat For Humanity with 'cleaning out' many of these houses. I understand this essentially means taking down the walls, taking out the carpet, taking out the cabinets. We'll leave basically the frame intact, and a later team will come and rebuild the houses. I understand axes will be involved. And respirators. And axes. And steel-toed boots. And alligators.

Yes, I know. The chances of getting eaten by an alligator while I'm down there are vanishingly small. I'm not really worried about alligators in particular. The alligator, however, makes an excellent focus for the apprehension I'm starting to feel about this whole venture. I am not in shape for this. I am not prepared, mentally, or physically. It will be hot. Humid. There will be mold. And possibly dead things. And face-eating rats. And alligators.

This was first announced several months ago, and I knew it was something I wanted to do. I had plenty of doubt, though. How would I manage to take a week off of work to do this? Am I really up to it?

Red Hat has already sent people to the area, and will be sending more. When the need for volunteers for this particular trip was announced, I turned to Greg, a coworker of mine, and said "Y'know, I really should do that." He replied "Yes, you really should. I'm going. Sign up." And so, before I could talk myself out of it, I checked with my wife, and I checked with my boss, and I signed up. Done. Volunteered. Doomed to be consumed alive by giant reptiles.

It will be a rewarding experience, one that I'll never forget. I am going there to help people who really need it. It will be hard, painful work, but ultimately I will look back on the experience, and I'll be glad I went. I know this. However, I also know, deep down, that I will get eaten by an alligator. Probably not in a literal sense of being chewed and digested. But in a somehow deeper, truer, sense. Eaten. By an Alligator.

Oh well. Here goes nothing. Gators, it's dinner time.