Michael T. Martin

It happens in the North in the winter and in the South in the summer. When the weather is bad, either too hot or too cold, raining or snowing, people get together.

Lately in New Orleans it’s been extremely hot. Now, I like the heat, don’t get me wrong, but when the heat index reaches 119, as it did last week, even I start to get irritable. The thing is though: everyone is in the same boat. There’s a level of understanding. When we go out and dance on the weekends everyone is sweating and wearing as few clothes as possible. We all understand that dripping with sweat is part of the experience and we relish in it. 

Baudrillard, in his book “America”, said that driving on the highway is the most collective of American actions. After a lone, late night highway jaunt out to Houma the other night I completely agree. What he never makes mention of though is the extreme weather that Americans endure. The fact that we endure it together and with tacit understanding that we’re all suffering equally….that’s certainly a collective action, and at the very least, camaraderie.