I was brought to a new home in June of 1950. I was six months old, totally normal, happy and always smiling. It was assumed I was illegitimate, but 40 years later, when my search for my birth family concluded, I found out that my parents were married at the time of my surrender, and they went on to have 2 more children. The assumption that I was illegitimate colored the opinions of most of the people who knew I was adopted. Of course, one look at me in the family pictures, and it is pretty clear I am the odd one out. Why anyone blames a baby for their legitimacy is beyond me. While I am glad I was conceived, I certainly had no say so in how or where or when it would have happened. It turned out that my adoptive mother would always resent me anyway so what difference would it make? But, the reality is, had I not been adopted, I would never have had the wonderful experience of being born in New Orleans and have the ability to lay claim to being a native. Unlike my friends who went back in NOLA for generations, I was a relative newbie. And I would not trade that for the world.
The house that I first lived in was on Benefit Street. The house was claimed and torn down to make way for the new interstate highway I-10. So all there is left is a picture or two. In those pictures, the house is white, and is wooden rather than brick with a lovely screened porch. It has a charming kitchen and lovely, large windows. But there was no way to stay in it, so my new parents went looking for a house, and they found it later, on Mirabeau Avenue. If you search the Mirabeau address today, the house has been condemned for Katrina damage. Thus a pattern develops of houses I have lived in being damaged or destroyed by hurricanes. Another thing that added adventure to living in NOLA.
I honestly have no memory of the Benefit house- in fact, I think I made it for a year or so? But it is a shame to see that classic little bungalow and know that it is gone. Funny thing is, it was doomed from the first day it was built because if I-10 hadn't gotten it, Katrina would have.
