Life in the FEMA Trailer

Bear in mind getting a FEMA from the government was a Herculean task of red tape, long lines, and utter frustration. Nevertheless, they are the saving grace for those who want to undergo the long process of gutting and then rebuilding their homes. This process for many has already run seventeen months, so life in the trailer can be a huge mental strain on the entire family. Picture your family in the 8' x 24' trailer, and plan your activities for the evening.

Let's see...... Jane, you sit there and do your homework, while Jack.... you try to take a nap back there in the bunk beds past the refrigerator. Harry, will you see if you can store the groceries somewhere, while I get this roast in the microwave. I'm sorry that there is no television, but the radio was good enough for our grandparents. Did you ever hear Brace Beemer portray the Lone Ranger?

Or, after dinner...... Let's kick back and relax on the couch a while before turning in. We have only been here for seventeen months, and the contractor says the house could be finished by July (weather permitting). Does anyone know where we put the broom?

Feeling frisky honey? Let's climb into the spacious master suite a little early tonight. First, I'm going to have a nice soak in the 18" x 40" tub. There were no end of "tub stories" exchanged at a lunch with the fourth grade teachers. One shared her methodology for using the tub. First, you kneel in the center of the small vessel, then cross your ankles behind you, then...... Well, you get the idea. Despite the hardships, I was constantly amazed at the good humor exhibited by the teachers at Andrew Jackson. My few days in one of these units could give me a sense of size, but never the effect of the long term exposure to the claustrophobic conditions when one shares it with a family of four for better than a year an one half.