What were you doing six years ago?

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As many United States residents are aware, it is the sixth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the Category Five hurricane that devastated the city of New Orleans, and caused widespread damage in the Gulf region. I had been watching the news, like many other Americans, but being in New Jersey, I felt quite removed from it. My biggest problem that week was scraping together my last remaining dollars to become a distributor for a Baton Rouge, LA company. And trying to fax in my paperwork to make if official. But I kept encountering busy signals, so I phoned my new sponsor. It was she that informed me how everything had come to a standstill in Lousiana, and then helped me to get my paperwork in to become official. Thank goodness HER sponsor had the ear of the company owner, or I might have had to wait a bit longer! I received my new kit, and began learning about my new company. I saw that they had a convention every year in New Orleans, and I wasn't sure I would go, especially since I had seen the same images of devastation on television as did many others. But after some encouragement from others within my company, I decided to go. New Orleans was, desolate, I guess was the best word I could describe it with. There were people there, but quite a few shops were still boarded up. The few that were open in the quarter boasted shirts named New Orleans as a 'Chocolate City'. But they were fighting back, and that was to be admired. By then, I had been laid off my full time job, and had since decided that THIS would be my income. I saw it change the next couple of years, each time, more shops were opening, and one wasn't limited to eating only local seafood any more! I admired New Orleans' tenacity to fight back from new death to carve a new image. Coming in from the airport, I was stunned by how much HADN'T changed, and that DID sadden me. Fast forward to now: I gave up my business at the end of 2010 because I relocated; I haven't been to New Orleans in more than four years; and this is the weekend of their anniversary. They were just hit with a Category One hurricane, Isaac, on the eve of the sixth anniversary. It got me thinking-just how much HAS been done? And I look at myself, and ask how much have I changed since then? I know I'm not the same person I was six years ago: I still had a full time job; I still saw my daughter daily; I had a boyfriend where we were in the beginnings of our relationship; I had friends that had not yet violated my trust; my family still lived in the same state. Everything has changed though, and I believe for the better. Yes, the job's gone, but I recently learned that they did cease operations, so I would have lost my job anyway. My boyfriend walked out without a word nearly two years ago, but I have found a new love who shows no signs of flight. My father passed away nearly three years ago, and my sister moved away five and a half years ago, but she did give me my awesome niece, so I've forgiven her. I had to remove myself from that particular group of friends, but I have made new ones that actually act their age. My daughter is grown, but now has no means to contact me, except by Facebook. And I've made the decision to start another career, only this time, I'm getting in one the ground floor of it's rebirth. Yes, drastic changes, but for the most part, I'm pretty happy. I've really grown since then. So what were you doing six years ago? Have you made any changes, and if so, are they for the better?