Betty Clark discusses Harvey’s impact on herself, Meyerland, and the “shtetl” feel of Meyerland. The impact on Clark is a reminder that even though a person goes through tough times, the resilient ones rise and keep striving forward. Clark reminisces about defeating cancer, the pain of losing her parents, the illness and death of her husband, and the reality of how Harvey also shaped her life. Further insult was felt in the unscrupulous people that took advantage of people already hurt by Harvey. Clark discusses coping with the loss and impact of Harvey while also enduring chemotherapy and surgery for cancer. She shares her experience rebuilding her home and staying where she is comfortable while also questioning the future safety of the area regarding future flooding.
Read on for the full transcript of her interview:
Interviewee: Betty Clark
Interview Date: October 30, 2018
Interview Location:
Interviewer: Paula Davis Hoffman
BC: I told you I’d start talking, and I don’t stop.
INTERVIEWER: Good morning, this is Paula Davis Hoffman. The time is now 11:30 on Tuesday, October 30, 2018. I am here with Ms. Betty Clark, and we’re here talking about flooding in Meyerland as part of the University of Houston’s Resilient Houston project, which is part of the Center for Public History.
PDH: So Betty, if you don’t mind my asking, let’s start with name, age, job — the basics.
BC: Uh-huh, I am Bertha Einstein Clark. I really go by Betty. I am 77 years old. What else did you want to know?
PDH: Well, I’m going to ask you in a bit about your Meyerland experience, but first, can you tell me about your experience during Harvey?
BC: Oh, yes. So the Friday that we heard [0:01:00] that Harvey was coming, I was in my house by myself. I live by myself. I’m a widow, and my kids live — one lives in Maryland, and the other one lives in Israel. So nobody’s around. Well, nobody in terms of my immediate family. So a friend — a dear friend of mine called, and she said, “You’re not staying there by yourself. I want you to come and come to my house so that you won’t be alone.” So I figured, “Okay, it’s a couple of days.” So I packed my carry-on and put, you know, two or three pieces of clothing — just the basics. And I don’t remember what — oh, and she suggested — she said, “You know, you don’t need to bring the car. It’s going to be more cumbersome. Why don’t you just take Uber and leave your car?” And I did that. I left the car in the [0:02:00] garage and went.
And she lives off of Richmond in that area. So you know, the rain started to come. And we heard about — one of my neighbors, who had left also, called me and said, “Your house is flooded. The entire block is flooded. You cannot come now, because between here and where I was, everything was covered in water.” I was absolutely — I couldn’t even comprehend what was going on. So it took — I think it was like almost a week before I was able to really come back to look at the damage.
And I remember — oh, and at the time, I was undergoing [0:03:00] chemotherapy, because I was — in March, I had been diagnosed with breast cancer. I had had breast cancer and had a lumpectomy in 1995. And this cancer was totally different. According to what I was told, it was not a recurrence. It was a totally different kind of cancer. But this time — oh, excuse me.
PDH: No problem.
UNKNOWN: It’s always done this though. I mean, I remember when I was in high school. I went to Bellaire. And man, this has just always been a — when I was a kid, we used to —
PDH: Well, you were talking about — so you were at a friend’s house. And you couldn’t come back?
BC: Oh, yes.
PDH: And they said everything was covered in water. And you couldn’t imagine.
BC: Yes. And I remember I came back in the house — oh, and I was undergoing chemo [0:04:00]. So to begin with, I was somewhat in La-La land. And this was very strong chemo, so for the first — I guess, for the second time in my life – the first time was when I left Cuba – that I felt this way. And this was the second time that I looked in the house, and I thought to myself, “What do I do? How do I start? Where do I start? What’s my next step?” And I had no answers. I mean, it was — it was unbelievable. It was — I really cannot even describe the feeling that I had. Because normally, I consider myself pretty strong. And I have had to [0:05:00] — through my life, I have had to deal with a lot of difficult issues — and you know, my husband’s illness and things like that, his death, my parents’ deaths, you know, things that were major-major. And this was equal. This was something that I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to overcome.
And yet, I kept thinking, “What options do I have?” And frankly, I couldn’t really see any options. So at the moment, I just stood there. And then, after a while, I realized that one thing I had to do like ASAP [0:06:00] was to have the carpets pulled up and the floors pulled up. That was like number one in my mind. So I talked to one of the neighbors who has been here about as long as I have been. And we call him the mayor of the street, because he knows everybody and everything that goes on here.
And I said, “Earl, do you know of anybody that could do this?” And he said, “Oh, yeah. There is this guy who has done some work in the neighborhood previously. Let me give you his name, and he’s around.” So I called this guy, Leo. And he was the one that pulled up my stuff. Unfortunately, he turned out to be [0:07:00] not good. I paid him a lot of money, and like, you know, the sheetrock. And it turned out that he did not do a proper job. He basically — I consider him a thief. He’s not a contractor.
But you know, I really didn’t know what to do. I had no idea, and everybody had their own issue. So there was nobody that I could really go to and say, “What do I do? Or who do I get or anything?” It was a very, very, very difficult time for me. And so Leo was doing his thing. He basically — he said to me, “Okay, this furniture has to go [0:08:00]. That furniture has to go.” And I really think that some of that furniture ended up either in his own house or he had people working for him in their home. Now, I did give one of the women that worked for him — I gave her permission — she asked me, because there was some furniture that was almost brand-new that I had bought recently that cost me a lot of money. And it was going to go. And she said, “Do you mind if I take it?” And of course, because I had — I was on chemo, you know, there was a health situation with me not to be around mold or the possibility of mold. So that was one of the big, big, big issues. And that’s why, you know, I said, “Take it.”
And [0:09:00] so I ended up staying two months at a dear friend’s house right nearby. She had had some — little bit of flooding in her guest bedroom. And that’s where I was, but it was — I mean, it was dry by the time I got there. But still, I felt like — and I didn’t tell her this, but I smelled something like, you know, the possibility of mold. Well, I stayed here for the two months. And then I ended up — well, in between — one weekend I stayed at another friend’s. But then to go to her — she had like a loft outside of her house that was a big, big room. It was surrounded my windows, but there was no window covering [0:10:00] at all. So I asked her if she had a mask, because otherwise, I would have been awakened at 5 o’clock in the morning because the sun — you know, the light would be coming in. And also, to go up there, it was like 20-plus steps. At that point, it was very hard for me to go up and down stairs. And so the whole thing was not going to work. It was very nice of her to offer, but you know, it was not a working possibility. So I went there. I went to my friend’s house for the two months. Then I said, “You know, I have to find a place.” Oh, I’m sorry.
PDH: It’s no problem. Okay, we’re back.
BC: So anyway, I ended up going to Brookdale. Oh, because my surgery was the beginning of November. And I needed — obviously, I needed a place to stay [0:11:00]. So I did a little bit of looking around and ended up going to Brookdale on Post Oak, which is an assisted living facility, you know, for — they have — they have skilled nursing. They have assisted living, and they have independent living. So since I had just had the mastectomy, I felt like I needed some help.
My daughters came. They took turns — one came while the surgery and stayed about a week. And the other one came and stayed a week after that even though I didn’t want them to come, because I know how difficult it is for them. Each one — the one in Maryland is divorced and has three children and a full-time job. And the one — the other one is in Israel, so you know, it’s very hard. Anyway, they came regardless, and — which was [0:12:00] a big help, of course. So anyway, I stayed at Brookdale until September.
Well, I moved to different places in between. I think I counted like six different moves within the year. I felt like the wandering Jew for sure. And — oh, before that, when we started, you know, “What do I keep? You know, what am I going to do with the stuff? What can I keep?” So I was very lucky. Brith Shalom had angels — volunteers that came and packed things for me. And those are the majority of the bags that — boxes that are there in that room. And then I had my daughter — one [0:13:00] of them called other friends of hers. And they came one day with help. I don’t know where they came from, who they were — we didn’t know them. They made an assembly line. They brought a truck.
And we had arranged with a — my daughter found a storage room. It was very hard even at that point to find storage. It was nothing around here. Everything was taken. So she found a place, and they made an assembly line, packed all of this into the truck. She went with them and took it to the storage facility. And that’s where the stuff ended up. It was almost a year. And because I didn’t really contract the contractor that did my house at the beginning [0:14:00], because it was an insurance problem then. You know, until the FEMA — all of that. I mean, it was — it was a nightmare.
It was truly — because physically and emotionally, I was not in condition to handle all the stuff. So it was very hard. It was very, very difficult. It was to the point where I almost — I almost put aside the — everything. And I thought to myself, “You know, I have to — I have to be able to get physically to the point where I can think clearly,” because there is something called — what do they call it? Fuzzy brain? That is like a side effect of the chemo [0:15:00]. And it — for me, it was true. And I really — I was in La-La land many times. So anyway, that’s part of it.
PDH: You said that you moved to this house in the early 70’s. Can you tell me about your Meyerland story? Why did you choose Meyerland? Did you live in another part of Houston? Or did you come directly here?
BC: Well, when we came — my husband and I, you know, we married in El Paso. And we were living in El Paso. And like I told you, I did not like El Paso, except for the few exceptions. And he got a scholarship to attend public health. He wanted to [0:16:00] get a masters in public health. He already had a masters, but he wanted — he loved public health. So he got a scholarship, and I was the happiest person on Earth when I found out that we were moving to Houston.
So we went to an apartment on Link Valley, which at that time — that’s right off of Stella Link. At that time, it was fine, you know, in terms of security and things like that. We had a small apartment, and my oldest daughter, Myra, was — how old was she? This was in like ’70, ’71. She was born in ’68, so she was like three years old. And so we were fine at the beginning, but then we felt like we wanted [0:17:00] a home.
And we wanted to be somewhere that was, you know, within Jewish schools or a synagogue. I mean, we both have always been very involved in the Jewish community. And we wanted a safe neighborhood as well. So there were certain priorities. And we looked around, and we wanted to be — you know, and the JCC was across the bayou. And Beth Israel was here, but we were not — we were going to go to a Conservative synagogue. So Beth Israel — other than the fact that it was the Jewish area, you know, and a good neighborhood. And it had a good reputation and all of that. So we [0:18:00] looked in this area. And we found this house. And I loved it.
I mean, to me, it was like luxury coming from the apartments that we had lived in before. And we liked the area, and so anyway, and at the beginning, I thought, “Oh, my god. Can we afford it?” And somehow, we did. I mean, we both worked. We worked very, very hard. We were very frugal. We did not have any kind of luxury, but we were very comfortable. We joined Brith Shalom almost — you know, very quickly — and the JCC. And my daughter went to the JCC’s preschool at the time [0:19:00]. So it was very convenient. And my husband was going to school. Well, and then he got a job. So anyway — so that’s basically why.
PDH: So you moved here for the Jewish community?
BC: Pardon me?
PDH: So you moved here because it was a Jewish area?
BC: That had a lot to do with it, yes. It was a very, very important issue for us.
PDH: Was it important to you to raise your children in a Jewish community?
BC: Very much so.
PDH: How do you think it affected them? What sort of experiences did they get here that they wouldn’t have gotten in another area?
BC: A lot, because, as I told you before, I did not have that as — growing up, because I was in a small town. For me, one thing I didn’t mention to you is the fact that I was very jealous when I was [0:20:00] growing up of the people in Havana, because they could live with their — in their homes with their families. And they could still have the Jewish schools, the Jewish atmosphere, and all that. For me to get it, I had to travel and stay at somebody else’s home away from my own personal family. And that’s how I got it. So I wanted my children not to have to go through that. I wanted them to be able to have it as part of their own lives. That was very important to me. And here, they were able to get it.
They attended Jewish — well, they didn’t go to Jewish private school, but they went to religious school [0:21:00] at Brith Shalom. We were very involved in the synagogue. From the very beginning, my husband became a president of the men’s club. More than once, the men’s club won national awards. During his presidency, they did a lot, a lot of good things. I became — I started teaching music at the Brith Shalom school. I was teaching Spanish. I started teaching Spanish at Bellaire, but then I got — that’s when I got my cancer the first time. And I had to quit. So — but I was still working. You know, I taught privately and did a lot of other stuff.
Eventually, I opened a — I made a very big change [0:22:00]. I opened a small boutique in Rice Village, 2420 Rice. Now, they have like a creperie there. But that used to be my store. And well, I started, you know, there. That’s a whole other story, but I started in a flea market that in those days used to be on Hillcroft and Main. From there, I went to Meyerland Plaza — small, little space next to the 5 & 10. That’s years ago before it was like what it is today. From there, I went to West Belfort. Oh, that’s my daughter. Let me just — I’m sorry.
PDH: No, no problem. We’re back.
BC: Okay, I’m trying to remember where I left off. Oh, god.
PDH: Your boutique.
BC: Oh, yes, yes.
PDH: You were at West Belfort.
BC: Yeah, okay. So from West [0:23:00] Belfort, I ended up on Rice. And I was there for about five years before it changed to where it is now. So my rent had gone sky high, and I couldn’t afford it. And it was a good thing. You know, there have been times in my life when I really have to believe that sometimes things are bashert. I really believe that that happens — that things are meant to be. And that was one, because my mother was diagnosed with cancer after I — she was working with me every day even though she was in her 80’s. She was coming every day to the store.
PDH: Was it a clothing boutique?
BC: It was — it was called Accessories for Her. And it was [0:24:00] — we started out with, you know, all kinds of — well, like costume jewelry. I did have some sterling pieces, but it was all hand-selected by me — individually selected and very reasonable. It was not like other places on Rice that are very high-priced. And anyway, I still find some friends of mine that used to be customers. They say, “Oh, I miss your store, you know.” And I say, “No, I don’t,” because it was a lot of work.
But anyway, so once my mother was diagnosed, I told my family, “You know, I am dedicating my time now to my mom. That’s my priority.” And they knew. They understood. And so she had to go to a place to stay, because they had to [0:25:00], you know, treat her and all that. And so I was there every day. And that was — that was it. So I didn’t work at that time. And my husband, meanwhile, had lost his job in public health and started working at Finger Furniture. So that’s one of the things that really hurt me that he was not able to go back into public health, because in those days, it was very difficult to find jobs in that area. So anyway, so that was that.
PDH: So you said you were a member of the JCC. You’re a member of Brith Shalom. Can you tell me more about what marks this area as particularly welcoming to Jews? I know your daughter’s in Israel now. I mean, how [0:26:00] much did the area play in maintaining traditions and forming identity?
BC: Oh, my gosh.
PDH: Are the supermarkets different? What makes this a Jewish area?
BC: Well, first of all, I think the fact that it seems to be almost the center of Jewish life. You have the JCC. You have — we are surrounded almost by — I mean, the shtetl, you know. If there is anything that would designate, that’s what it is. You have — if you look around within a very short distance, there are many Jewish organizations. I mean, right now, you have Hadassah — Hadassah’s office is where [0:27:00] Belden’s is. Belden’s — if you keep kosher, you have Belden’s. You have — Genesis Restaurant has just moved there. I don’t keep kosher.
But I observe other things within the religion, and I have studied. I was studying at Melton’s School. I don’t know if you know what Melton is. It’s adult Jewish study at the JCC. We also had classes at Merfish right down the block. I mean, we have — you have UOS down the block. You have Brith Shalon in Bellaire. You have Beth Yeshurun. I mean, all of that — it doesn’t matter whether you are religious, observant, or middle-way, or liberal. You have your choice [0:28:00]. And this is the center. I mean, I don’t know how else to put it. But it is — it is — it gives you all of the choices in my opinion.
When anything happens, whether it’s good or bad — for example, unfortunately, this Pittsburg incident that is so horrible — this whole area was involved. The JCC was involved. I mean, right now, I am in a bad situation. I have no transportation. And I — it’s harder for me to move around — and also because I have to get this house in order. But I know what’s going on. And I have neighbors and friends around that [0:29:00] also help. So I think it — the area is very — is very helpful if you want to take advantage of these things. I’m sure that there are people who live here who may not care — or to them, these are not priorities. But if this is priority — if your Jewishness is important to you and you want to participate, you have plenty of choices — a lot. And I think the area helps — you know, distance. So yeah, I think it’s very important.
PDH: Betty, before we began, you were talking about growing up in Cuba. Is there a sizeable [0:30:00] Latino-Jewish population in this area? Can you tell me about that community?
BC: Well, when we first came here — excuse me. When we first came here, there were more families — I’m not going to take that. There were many families — not many, but a group of families that were like doctors, dentists, professionals, who had decided not to go to Miami. They left Cuba and were — for one reason or another, they ended up in Houston. And we met a few of them. There was one particular family — in fact, I have — I have to get ahold of one of them who knows the story a lot better than I do. But there was the Levy family, and they [0:31:00] brought other members. They are Sephardic. And they brought other members of their family, and they ended up here. And some of them are still here. Some of them have passed away. And some have moved away. But some of them are still here.
And we used to get together for holidays and parties and things. And I have some very fond memories of those times. And one was a doctor — Dr. Levy — Jamie Levy. His brother-in-law was also a doctor. And our dentist was also a Cuban-Jewish dentist that we remain friends until he died and she moved to Miami. But [0:32:00] yeah, there was a — I want to say that it was a large group, but number-wise, let’s see. Levy and the brother, and now, they have their children and — you know, so it’s like more than one generation. And some of them are still here.
PDH: Is it a close group? Do you have a lot of friends in the Latino-Jewish community here?
BC: Not now. Not now, no. Once the old ones either passed away or moved away, you know, there is a difference in age between myself and — of course, when we see each other, we hug and all that. But no, we have gone [0:33:00] far apart, which is unfortunate. But I do have other — for example, I discovered — we discovered I have a cousin that is from Argentina that is now — they are a young couple with young children. And they are at Brith Shalom. And we see each other, but I — it’s — you know, everybody is so busy with their own lives and their own issues. I know that — that it makes it — it’s very difficult. Now, we say — life is very different these days. And of course, I’m in my own situation, you know, dealing with — trying to deal with my things. And — but I have been very, very lucky with wonderful, wonderful [0:34:00] friends — not necessarily because they were Latinos or not Latinos or whatever. So you know, it was just — I don’t know what I did to deserve them. But they have been incredible — some of them, so.
PDH: Betty, I noticed that the house next to yours is — it looks like it was raised maybe 10 feet. And the one across the street also is either a new construction or elevated. Is this the first time this area flooded?
BC: Yes, but they are not — they did raise. They just — you know, they built the way they built. They did not raise their homes.
PDH: So that’s not elevated? That’s a brand-new construction?
BC: Yeah.
PDH: What options did you consider when you flooded?
BC: Well, my daughters really were not particularly anxious for me to move back here. They said it was going to be very [0:35:00] stressful. It was going to take a lot of time and money and effort and all that — none of which I had really. They said, “Mom, why don’t you maybe consider an apartment or something else?” Well, I actually looked. I said to them, “You know, I’m trying to keep an open mind. I will look around and see what I find.” And I did look around at apartments. And I was shocked. They were asking tremendous amounts of money for what — when I looked, they said, “Oh, we have these wonderful amenities.”
The amenities were a very large pool, a fitness center, and a business center. When you walked into the actual living space, which is what was most important to me, they were using the cheapest possible [0:36:00] carpets, the cheapest materials inside. And the space was miniscule — so small. And they were charging tremendous amounts of money. And even the location, I wasn’t happy with. I only saw one apartment building — one place that I liked, but it was out of my range in terms of the money. Plus, I felt like this money I would spending going out the window, because I would get nothing in return.
So when I really looked around and I thought about it and I certainly was not ready to stay — nor could I afford to stay at a facility like Brookdale or something similar. I learned a great deal — a tremendous lesson [0:37:00] being there. And none of it was good. No, I shouldn’t say none of it. Some of it was not good. Some of it was, but I felt like I wasn’t ready for that. So when I really thought about it, I decided, “I’m going back home.” And right now, I am very happy to be here. I have a tremendous job ahead of me. I don’t know how long it’s going to take me. And of course, all we can do is pray that the money that has been supposedly set aside to make the bayous work the way they should work and to make them, you know, withstand — that this should never happen again. And that’s something that nobody has the answer. We don’t know. But I am happy to see that a large percentage of my block — of my neighbors have come back [0:38:00]. So you know, that’s also a good sign.
PDH: Did you remediate with flooding in mind? I know you’ve said before that you had carpets. And I see throughout the house — I don’t know if this is tile or wood.
BC: It’s tile that looks like wood.
PDH: So did you remediate with flooding in mind like just in case? Or you just didn’t want carpets anymore?
BC: No, I have carpets in the bedrooms. I still do, but I had had — I had put in wood floors in parts of the house before. And I loved it. But this time — you know, I don’t know that one could really — other than to elevate the house, I’m not sure that anything would make a heck of a lot of difference.
PDH: Right.
BC: So I tried to do it — I had to do it, number one, within [0:39:00] my budget. Number two, I felt like, you know, I’m 77 years old. I am not in the best of health. I don’t know how long I’ll be able to be here. But while I’m here, I want to be comfortable, and I want to be happy. And I want to have some peace. And so I think that had a lot to do with my — but it was — it was also a matter of budget. It was just — you know, I had certain options that I could consider, so.
PDH: And it wasn’t an issue. I understand that there’s the 50% rule. If the cost of repairing your home exceeds 50% of the home’s value, you wouldn’t be able to remediate. That wasn’t an issue?
BC: No.
PDH: Okay [0:40:00].
BC: I am very careful about how I spend money, because money is an issue. And I had to stay within limits.
PDH: Uh-huh.
BC: So that had a lot to do with my choices, so yeah.
PDH: You said that you were so happy that most of your neighbors came back. Almost all your neighbors came back.
BC: Not all. No, not all.
PDH: Almost all.
BC: Uh-huh, many.
PDH: Do you know any Meyerland Jews who, because of flooding, have decided to leave and did not come back?
BC: Yes. Yes, I do.
PDH: So I’m curious about how you see the area has changed after flooding three times in less than three years. And just where — well, let’s go there [0:41:00]. How has the area changed? You can talk about the people who have left and other changes that you might have seen.
BC: Well, first of all, some of the people at Brookdale were previous Meyerland residents. As a matter of fact, one of the people that is — you can see their home. If you see Dr. Furman’s presentation on the Meyerland shtetl, he shows the Seltzer’s home. And I can say the name, because it is part of this presentation. They were the first Jews from — they said — in Meyerland. And their home is — they moved out. They are at Brookdale now, and they’re trying — I don’t — I think that they’re trying to sell their home. And [0:42:00] there are other people equally in the same kind of situation. One of my dear, dear friends flooded three times on South Braeswood. And they are trying to sell their home.
So how has it changed? First of all — well, there have been gradual changes. Right after the flood, the area looked like a warzone. I mean, it’s — it was practically indescribable how one felt driving up and down these streets that were always clean. And the yards were maintained and everything else. All of the sudden, it was — you felt like you were in another world. There were — there was garbage piled with everything imaginable — appliances, furniture [0:43:00], all kinds of things on — you know, piled on the sidewalks. And then you started to see — like even now, for sale, for sale, for sale — one house after another. This is — this is like unbelievable. This is something that was never part of this.
And this is part of what you see now — people that have moved away, people that said, “We cannot deal with one more flood — with one more redoing and going through this. It’s a nightmare.” It’s an — absolutely — people that have not been through this, I think that they can –perhaps, they can understand it intellectually. I’m not sure that they can understand it emotionally, because I couldn’t. I [0:44:00] still have — it’s like — it’s — it’s like a — you have this post-traumatic syndrome feeling that I’m not sure I’m ever going to get rid of it. I have to take medication to go to sleep, you know. And I want to get off of it, because I’m sure I’m addicted. But I don’t even care, you know. I have to take it, and I take it. I just cannot — because this just keeps — it’s like a movie that keeps repeating one way or another. So it’s a very hard feeling.
PDH: I’ve spoken to some people who also referenced PTSD and said that the trauma was so great they didn’t want to be in Meyerland anymore. At least while their houses were being redone [0:45:00], they wanted to leave and not be reminded constantly by the debris on the sidewalks. And I spoke with other people who felt like there was a comradery. Like being around people who had been through it, there was a comfort in that. Where do you fall in that? Is it nice to be around people have been through the flooding?
BC: Well, I don’t know whether it’s like — in a way, yes, because there is that element of comfort. I think that also what I have found is that you can help one another. For example, my neighbor right here, just yesterday, they told me — because I was saying — I was asking, “When is heavy trash? Because I have stuff in the garage [0:46:00], like my old appliances, that I need to get out of here. I have my old piano sitting in the patio. And I need to get that stuff out of here.” And I don’t — I don’t know how to do it. And they said they donated their appliance — they donated everything, like knobs from the old doors, from drawers, things like that, because they actually did — they called — they went to the slab in their house. So they got rid of all of that stuff, and they donated it somewhere. And I’m waiting for them to let me know the name of this organization so that, hopefully, they will come and get this stuff. Because I don’t know where to do it, you know.
Goodwill does not accept those kinds of things. And I don’t know — another [0:47:00] friend — the Ginsburgs told me that they gave their stuff to Habitat for Humanity. So in other words, you learn from each other. And that’s a big help for me. And you know, when I find something — when I find out about something, I try to pass that information along as well. So there is that element. My neighbor and I are sharing with the neighbor across the street like to treat the trees, because the bushes and all that — the yard has suffered as a result of the flood. So you know, we are now sharing the same company that treats these things so that, hopefully, they stay alive. Because I did lose plants and bushes and things outside as well [0:48:00]. So there is that element of — you know, there are some neighbors that really stay to themselves. And they don’t — you know, they don’t get involved. But we have some that do share, and that’s a very nice thing. It’s very helpful.
PDH: So you moved here with your little baby in the early 70’s because of the Jewish area partly. Do you think other young Jewish families, with or without kids, who are maybe looking to settle down are going to be attracted to this area? Or do you think they’re going to be deterred by the history or flooding? Where do you see the future of Meyerland?
BC: That’s a very difficult question to answer, because nobody has a crystal ball. I think that a lot of us that have gone through Harvey — when [0:49:00] there is a rain and the — you know, the rain keeps coming down, you cannot help but to think to yourself, “Oh, my god. Is this going to happen again?” I mean, I feel that way. And I don’t know how other people feel. I have heard other people say the same thing. They say also that scientifically, quote, unquote, this was an aberration — that chances of this happening again are, you know, infinitesimal that — maybe that’s not the right word. I’m not sure. But anyway, that chances are that this was a once in — what? 500 years or something, and that this should not happen again [0:50:00] — should being the operative word. So I would imagine that when young families are looking for a place — I can’t imagine that would not take that into account.
But you know, the area, we still have people living around. I mean, there are people who live right by the bayou all over the city, not just here, but all over. And you know, you — I guess that you take your chances. You weigh a lot of things, and you make up your mind. And you say, “Okay, this is what I’m going to do.” And we hope and pray that this doesn’t happen again. So as to what’s going to happen, I have no clue. I wish I did [0:51:00]. It is a wonderful area. I have enjoyed being here. When I have looked in other places, I still feel like, for me, this is home. And I have a lot of good things around.
There are bad things, too, but there are good and bad — there is good and bad everywhere. So you know, it’s very convenient. It’s close to places that I use — that I like. For people who work in the medical center, it is more affordable that West U or Bellaire. And yet, it’s been a relatively safe, good area. My kids went to school in this area. And they walked to Herod [0:52:00] when they were young. And you know, so — they went to Bellaire. And I think they got a good education. And so there are lots of plusses — lots of plusses.
PDH: Betty, is there anything you wanted to add before we conclude the interview?
BC: Meaning what?
PDH: Anything about you’ve said, anything about Judaism or Meyerland or flooding, anything at all?
BC: Well, I think I probably have said a lot. I’ve spoken way too much.
PDH: No.
BC: I appreciate the opportunity to share this, and thank you for doing this.
PDH: Thank you.
BC: It’s a tremendous job that you’re doing. And I hope that, you know, it serves [0:53:00] the purpose that it needs to serve. I think every person has, you know, priorities — things that are meaningful and important in their lives. And whether they are Jews or not Jews, that’s not the issue. If you are a very good Christian and you want to be near your church, I think you kind of want to gravitate towards that. And you look for opportunities to fulfill that. And you look for areas that will contribute to your feelings. For us as a family, it was very important to be in a Jewish area and close to [0:54:00] Jewish places. And that was one of the main reasons we moved to this area. And we did not regret it.
And of course, my husband was not alive to see what I had to go through and so many other people had to go through, which again, it was an absolutely devastating experience. It was an experience that I don’t wish on anybody and that will stay with me for the rest of my life. And I’m sure that that is the case with probably anybody that went through it. To see — I’ll give you an example that I didn’t tell you. When we were looking through the debris to see if there was anything that could be saved [0:55:00], one of the people that was helping me pointed out an album of photos. And it was my wedding album. And it was green with mold. And she said to me, “What should I do?” And I immediately said to her, “Toss it.” She said, “Really?” And I said, “Yes, toss it.”
I didn’t know that I had a choice. I was not well. I knew that I couldn’t be around mold. And I figured I have the memories. I have the feelings. And to have this covered in mold be a part of my belongings was not [0:56:00] a choice. I couldn’t do it. So we tossed it. That is an example of some of the choices we had to make. Many people lost their lives. I was lucky. I’m still here. The belongings — I still don’t know what I have and what I don’t have.
The other day, I went to Walmart, because I had to buy some things. And all of the sudden, it dawned on me. Oh, I don’t have an ironing board, and I probably don’t have an iron. I don’t know. So I picked up a small ironing board that I can put on top of the table. And I am not planning to iron any time soon, so I’m going to wait and see if I find my iron. You know, if I do, that’ll be wonderful. If not, I will replace it [0:57:00]. Those are examples of the kind of choices that I found. All of the sudden, the material things gained a different meaning.
You have to realize that your life and the lives of those that you love and those around you, that is the bottom line. And I try very hard to keep that in front of me. I feel very blessed, because I am here. I’m able to talk to you. I’m able to listen to you. I can talk. I can walk better or worse, but I’m alive. A lot of people are not. I’m sorry.
PDH: Don’t apologize.
BC: So yeah, that’s the bottom line.
PDH: Betty, I just [0:58:00] want to thank you so much for your candor and sharing your very moving story and your participation in this project. It does mean a lot, and it does help a lot. Thank you so much.
BC: Thank you, Paula. Thank you. [0:58:11]