Customs and Immigration

January 20, 2015.

Passing Thoughts

Greg is travelling today - for the first time into the United States, for the first time since November 12 2013.  Let's see how the Federal Government interfaces with State Government.
I believe all will be well - but I am worried that the 'blogger and flogger' concept might translate in the western hemisphere into some new creepy format.  Last year I lost my innocence.  In the beginning of the year I hated Edward Snowden, and by the end, I was horrified to see that what he reported is true and that what he revealed should be of real concern to all democracies populated with naive taxpayers.  We vote for rights and liberties, not realizing that these are elusive concepts.

My biggest resentment - is - that all joy and laughter was sucked out of our lives for a full eleven months, and that it happened in the WESTERN HEMISPHERE.  Once upon a time, America was a mytholgical place called the NEW World.  I shudder to think about the unhappiness that follows the poor souls who enter God's beautiful planet in a country where they hide women, buy women and say it is all in the name of religion.  It is so disappointing to have your ballon popped by an ugly truth.

I saw a news story about the Pope, (who is amazing), embrace the little girl in the Philippines, braver than Malala, she asked him why do little girls have to be prostitutes?  I am sorry that he said that people don't need to breed like rabbits.  It takes both sexes to breed.  Another subject to ponder.

 The Tale

After I gave the instuction to buy a house, Greg went looking for a property that might suit our needs. He picked up the phone and called an agent whose number was on the FOR SALE sign.  The Magician answered and agreed to show Greg some properties.  It turned out that The Magician had met Greg years earlier when he had come to Alabama to build the grimmet factory.  Greg put an offer on a house.  It was Easter now, and Natalie and Karina and I flew down for the weekend to be with Greg, and see the prospective purchase.
The house failed my approval as there was no real area for 4 dogs, and I was frightened to be in a house with lots of french doors on the ground floor.  I was convinced that we would be invaded at night by paid assassins - that is how fearful I was of the evil that had transpired under the veil of American law.
The Magician agreed to show me more properties and, since there was an understanding about our situation, The Magician wanted to show us properties that would be "pleasant".  The Magician was a magician, and showed us a winner.  This was a huge turning point for our situation.

The house purchase meant that Greg would have different issues to think about, and relieve the pressure on his mind of just thinking about the legal quagmire that the State of Alabama had pushed him into.  The Magician introduced Greg to Chip.

"I know you" he said when they first met, "you sit in front of me at Church".
Chip would be Greg's guardian angel and steadfast companion.

And that is how I learned that there are a lot of really really good people, even in Alabama!