(4 minute read)

I have a banana tree (three to be exact) thriving in my backyard. I live in an area where they are not a native species. My wife, Jen, has to take extra care of it. She is the one with the green thumb and the sole reason for the green monsters.

Several years ago she asked what type of tree I would like planted. I quickly answered …a banana tree.

To explain, one of my favorite places to visit on this planet is New Orleans. I feel in love with the Crescent City over 30 years ago. However, my first impression of the French Quarter was less than stellar.

If you’ve ever driven directly into the Quarter, the first time can be a bit of a shock. The culture is distinct and surprising. I passed all of the centuries-old buildings. They looked every bit as worn, torn, tilted, and pot-marked. I remember thinking, “I could have gone anywhere on the planet for a vacation and I picked …here?”

It looked like an abandoned section of Troy, NY. Sorry, dear citizens of Troy.

But once I arrived, time flew by. Before I knew it, the last day of my three-day vacation came to a close. It was time to go home. And I had fallen madly, deeply, and fully in love with the city.

The energy is incredible. The food is delicious. The shops are unique. The people are welcoming. The Mighty Mississippi snakes alongside, offering an incredible views. The smells emanate from the restaurants, mingled with …other odors. The bakeries provide delightful treats. The seafood is fresh, etc., etc., etc.

The city sits below sea level and is a challenge to the residents. One that is probably most known is that the dead are not buried. Instead, they are kept above ground, interred in crypts.

Photo courtesy of Depositphotos.com

If the land floods you can’t have bodies popping up from the ground.

“There goes Uncle Jim.”

“Your Uncle Jim has been dead for the past 20 years.”

“Yeah, but …there he goes.”

The second challenge is the use of land, especially in the French Quarter. There are very few lawns in the French Quarter. Instead, walled courtyards are found everywhere.

To compensate for the loss of greenery, enormous potted plants line the area. Trees grow out of dirt patches no bigger than their trunks. If you are well off, you can afford to plant larger trees on your property, though with some difficulty.

Over the years I have visited N’awlins close to a dozen times. Easily the most visited part of the planet in my lifetime. Not to long ago I had the opportunity to go once more. However, this time I hit the mother lode.

I spent three months living in the Quarter. Twelve glorious weeks!

Sitting in the walled courtyard of my rented bungalow, two back yards to the south was the largest banana tree I had ever seen. It towered more than two stories high stretching above the rooftops. You can barely make it out in the photo above. Though separated by at least half a block, every day I could see this beautiful thing. It saluted the breeze and stretched out in the rain. That courtyard and the view of the tree was Eden.

So when it was time to pick a tree, banana passed my lips. The green-thumbed genius* made it happen and now the banana trees thrive. It is not two stories high. But every day, I go out on the back deck and sip my first cup of coffee.

The banana tree greets me, saluting when there is a breeze and stretching when it rains.

However, it dawned on me the other day.

Now when I look at the tree, I no longer think about one of the greatest cities on the earth. I do not think about their courtyards. Instead, I am aware of Jen’s earnestness. She does everything she can to make sure I get to enjoy company with this sprawling green creature.

That, to me, is worth a lifetime of visits to The Big Easy.

*Jen thinks the term genius is a bit superfluous. However, she was smiling ear to ear when she read it.