Quantum Leaping into FEMA

Posted on: Tuesday, December 20th, 2005 by Cheryl Felicia Rhoads

Townhall.comColumns Quantum Leaping into FEMA Oct 18, 2005by Cheryl Felicia Rhoads As an actress and writer, I have held a lot of different jobs. I often feel like Dr. Sam Beckett, a character in the popular old TV series "Quantum Leap." Each episode, Sam found himself in someone else's body with partial amnesia. He leaps from life to life, traveling back through history, setting right things within his own lifetime that once went wrong. As he'd jump into different lives he'd exclaim "Oh boy!" My most recent "life jump" was working at a call center aiding victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. I'd gotten into one of those worldview arguments we conservatives often get into with the unenlightened. In the midst of email wars, the other person who worked for a temp agency, heatedly inquired whether or not I'd like to take aid applications for FEMA. And I snapped "Yes!" An odd way to get a job, but that is how FEMA became a part of my own Quantum Leap history. Frankly, the call center contracted by the government left a little to be desired organization-wise. That said, I found many of my co-workers and the FEMA advisors in general to be magnificently compassionate and kind people. That realization combined with the opportunity to help fellow Americans struggling with personal disaster made this temporary life assignment a most memorable episode. Right off the bat the calls were interesting. One of the first calls involved a domestic dispute between a homeless guy and his short-fused fiancée in New Orleans. The quarrelsome couple bickered the entire time I took their application for aid! The woman wanted her (expletive) cash and wanted it "Now!" Meanwhile, her male counterpart was not so impatient. I felt like an eavesdropper as this former shrimp boat captain in his best Forest Gump voice chastised his female companion repeatedly with the admonition "Now shut up, Norma Jean, Cheryl is doing the best she can, so you just shut up, Cheryl is my angel now! (To which said Norma Jean could be heard screaming one colorful epithet after another!)Amusing as the latter incident was, much more common were the true human tragedies. There was the young wife, pregnant with her first child who sobbed her heart out for about twenty minutes. She and her husband had just closed escrow on their very first home only twenty four hours before Hurricane Rita hit. Now they had lost everything. After steadying my own emotions, I searched for various agencies and organizations that might fill the gap while waiting for FEMA to help her and thousands of other Americans. Often, my own philosophy of limited government surfaced as I skirted around bureaucratic rules. Whenever possible, I suggested that those with computer access contact private groups helping out. I hoped that might help ease the sense of desperation as one waited for the inevitable red tape to unwind during this unprecedented national crisis. The word "crisis" is a translation from Greek meaning "opportunity." I felt I had the unique opportunity to get those with a government-cure-all mentality to think outside the box. It truly was a new concept to some who had grown accustomed to viewing government as a substitute parent. In this journey, I have experienced the best of humanity – and a bit of the worst. I’ve also had some wonderful fellow travelers. The man from Louisiana had called me an angel. My own ethnically and culturally diverse angels included Naomi, a Hispanic grandmother who comforted hurricane victims as she knit a tiny cap for the latest addition to her brood. Full of life wisdom and humor, she told of her former glory as a prom queen, and how she has always longed to be nicknamed "Sugarbabe" Eulanda, a feature film camera operator, also knitted serenely as she aided others. She always went with the flow, never dropping a stitch, no matter the upheaval within her cubicle or the outside world. Last but not least, there was a joyful spirit named Anne who prayed with me to persevere when the bureaucratic mindset of a supervisor almost caused me to blow. These three were my holy trinity. They helped me keep my sense of humor when dealing with the absurd. They restored my calm when confronting those who'd worked "the system" before and callously attempted to milk it again – despite knowing that others around them were completely and utterly desolate. But as there were scammers, there were also saints. One day a widow called earnestly asking to return her government check. She had received the sum of $2,300 to which she did not feel entitled. She told a stunned fellow employee that others needed it more than she did and it was important that she return the money for the moral fiber of the country. And happily, there was more than one call like that. Finally, I hope that Norma Jean and all the other critics of FEMA take heed of that command to shut up – if only for a moment. It is helpful to take note of what a great aunt of mine used to say "It takes all kinds…and they are all here." We aren't always able to make the wheels grind fast enough to suit others or even ourselves! Yet I served as a witness to the fact that many did what they could to help. The same goes for millions of Americans who helped both publicly and privately. It is also important to know that there still exists the strength of character that made this country great. Indeed, it is alive and well. I think historic moments like these give us each an opportunity to correct what once went wrong. Let us keep in mind that widow's declaration "to help the moral fiber of the country." It is always time for each of us to leap into a better life, "Oh boy!"Cheryl Felicia Rhoads is an actress, writer, director and producer in Hollywood. Copyright '© 2005 Townhall.com

---

Articles by Cheryl Felicia Rhoads

Title	Published
Hilarious Election 2008 Comedy bit on Youtube written by Renaissance Woman!	05-14-08
Quantum Leaping into FEMA	12-20-05
YO HO YO HO...It's The Pirate's Life For Us	05-06-05
The Night The Pope Told Us To Go To Sleep	04-07-05
Schindler's Wish	03-30-05
The Value of Friends	11-03-04
Outside View: '60s sitcoms and '04 debates	10-16-04
September Song	09-16-04
Republican On The Roof	08-28-04
Outside View: What's That Supposed To Mean?	06-30-04
Yesterday In America	06-09-04
Outside View: To Serve Man	06-06-04
Outside View: A conservative for Arnold	09-17-03
Does Hollywood See the Light?	07-20-03
A Fight for Love and Glory: Good Art vs. Bad Art	06-28-03
Hollywood Proud Or Pouting?	12-01-01
Outside View: Hope restored my faith

Previous Page :: Main Page

Categories

---

---

Renaissance Women

---

Profiles, images and commentaries written by the following spokeswomen:

---

Join Our Mailing List

Receive Newsletters, Special Offers, and Regular Bulletins from Renaissance Women

---