Dislocated Persons

There are so many things to consider in the Katrina disaster, and the magnitude is so far beyond my comprehension, that I get hung up on small things. There are refugees, evacuees, and displaced persons, some of whom are being relocated from domed stadiums. I can fathom all that. It's the newscasters' use of the term "dislocated persons" that throws me. When I hear it I land in a heap of distracted collarbones far away from the breaking news I was intended to understand.

My online dictionary brings up the scary concept of being separated at the joint:
Adj. 1. dislocated - separated at the joint; "a dislocated knee"; "a separated shoulder" disjointed, separated injured - usually used of physical or mental injury to persons; "injured soldiers"; "injured feelings"

I will not get into dislocated musings about persons "separated at the joint", but it sounds like somebody went to the can at the tavern to read the graffiti, and all his buddies adjourned to the pizza place over in the next block, next door to the Toot'n'Tote'Em.

My high school graduation gift from Uncle Milt and Aunt Margie, the American Heritage Dictionary, c. 1973, that I have used at least once a day for over thirty years, supplies this entry:

Dis-lo-cate...1. To put out from the usual or proper relationship with contiguous parts; displace; shift. 2. Pathology. To displace (a limb or organ) from the normal position; especially, to displace (a bone) from the socket or joint. 3. To throw into confusion or disorder; upset; disturb.

"Contiguous" is joined at the hip in my mind with "Alaska and Hawaii". You got them there contiguous states, and then you got them there noncontiguous states...

My little students spend a surprising amount of time and energy in their "Finding Nemo" underwear manually verifying that their contiguous parts have not been dislocated. In the spirit of bipartisanship, I will refrain from mentioning the delay in the federal response to the disaster at this point.

Is your organ dislocated? Did you hear that piece on NPR about a woman in Mississippi trying to find her baby grand?

This funny Halloween book may be out of print now. It addresses dislocated dogs thrown into confusion, so it may be the story W was reading this time.

I'm discombobulated lately. I picked up the 2004 World Almanac and Book of Facts one morning, and took it to work instead of my sack lunch. And speaking of ham and cheese sandwiches left out all day in the hot sun, please compare the stink with the olefactory mess in Louisiana!

It's time for this evening's photo op and live broadcast of the Katrina Song'n'Gong Show:

Come and listen to a story about a man named Jed
A poor mountaineer, barely kept his family fed,
Then one day he was shootin at some food,
And up through the ground came a bubblin' crude.

Oil that is, black gold, Texas tea. ...

Head, shoulders, knees and toes,
Knees and toes.
Head, shoulders, knees and toes,
Knees and toes.
And eyes, and ears, and mouth,
And nose.
Head, shoulders, knees and toes,
Knees and toes.

(Place both hands on parts of body as they are mentioned. During the second term in office speed up, and get faster with each verse. )




Your toe bone connected to your foot bone,
Your foot bone connected to your ankle bone,
Your ankle bone connected to your leg bone,
Your leg bone connected to your knee bone,
Your knee bone connected to your thigh bone,
Your thigh bone connected to your hip bone,
Your hip bone connected to your back bone,
Your back bone connected to your shoulder bone,
Your shoulder bone connected to your neck bone,
Your neck bone connected to your head bone,
I hear the word of the Lord!
Dem bones, dem bones gonna walk aroun'
Dem bones, dem bones, gonna walk aroun'
Dem bones, dem bones, gonna walk aroun'
I hear the word of the Lord!

Michael, row the boat ashore,Hallelujah.
Michael, row the boat ashore,Hallelujah.
Sister, help to trim the sails,Hallelujah.
Sister, help to trim the sails,Hallelujah.
River Jordan's deep and wide,Hallelujah.
Milk and honey on the other side,Hallelujah.
River Jordan's chilly and cold,Hallelujah.
Chills the body, but warms the soul,Hallelujah.