I think on some level I define a place as having a soul or not having one by the presence or lack of street art.... Alas, the place I am in is soul-less by that standard, as most of Suburbia tends to be.
To compensate, during our very recent hurricane, we painted the wooden shutters of the gallery/art house we were staying in. There was something of a small act of rebellion in the act; we blasted music loudly on the porch, and made our protection from the storm look out with over-bright acrylic
eyes at the coming storm and the city huddled in fear. I surprised myself by enjoying it immensely....
Anyways - thank you for this glimpse into so much courage and expressions of our most visceral, most honest bits of humanity, Yahia. Glorious Klimt's reproduction on ruins....
We humans are capable of so much heroism and beauty... Delighted to hear your story of latest hurricane - I was there, and it was my first! I should have been in DC, but insisted I needed quiet time, alone (before my first trip back to Egypt, in 12 years). The house shook, the news drummed up doom and destruction, and the howling winds outside rattling the shutters around the clock felt like a giant wolf was trying to get in :o
But, like you, I also was surprised that I enjoyed hurricane experience, tremendously, as it brought out the best in neighbors, and I ended up attending not one, but two hurricane parties --- to Celebrate Life/People!
Thanks, for teasing out that happy memory and sharing your own story. To paraphrase that Great Dispenser of Gloom, Beckett, the prospect of disaster is vivifying. Yes, hence, Street Art!