Do you know what the best day to be at Disneyland was? September 12, 2001. On the day after September 11th, while all planes over the skies of America were grounded, my neighbors loaded up their Subaru and drove like a bat out of hell to Disneyland.
They were a young Disney fanatical-couple with early elementary-aged kids. The 9-11 attacks came with indirect benefits for anyone who ever dreamed of having Disneyland to themselves. While most of America sat in front of their TVs for hours and worried themselves raw, these opportunists were like “F*ck it, we’re going to ride roller coasters all week!” Now, most people can get from Seattle to Disneyland in 18 hours, with kids, that could work out to be a full day of driving, day and a half if stay at a hotel on your way down. They seemed bubbly and downright giddy about the whole situation. When they came back they told us there were no lines and about 500 people in the whole park all week. Perfect!
I’m thinking about this couple today.
As the Democrats are getting ready to impeach Trump, I’ve been extra happy. There’s a little skip in my step the past two weeks. It’s as if my hope in the governments’ ability to function has returned. (Mind you, it’s been missing for many years) Since that dark winter’s night in 2016 many groaned and groaned for years after.
But why, at 2 in the morning on a Wednesday in 2019, eight years later, am I thinking about them? I’m happy that it appears some justice will be served but there is an element of unknown. It is a crisis. Our country is in a crisis, however, we’ve been here before. So…what were they REALLY thinking? I came up with this: they recognized that these things shall pass.
Consider these ancient lines from Proverbs 11:10, “When the righteous thrive, the city rejoices, and when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.” or 29:2, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan.” (New King James).
There was and is a groaning
Whatever happens with Trump and to America over the next week, year, decades to come, its nothing we, and really all the citizens of the world, haven’t seen. Proverbs is a testimony to this. For centuries the world has had righteous and wicked leaders. They come and go, but goddamit, how long will they keep the Dumbo ride?
shannon p. laws 