" The Flight Home"

Not long ago, I was in Las Vegas Nevada, "SIN CITY", although we aren't big time gamblers, we did spend some money on the "one armed bandits', and they are well named. We ate too much food, stayed up too late, and generally changed our system into something we would not normally experience. I can thankfully say we did nothing to be ashamed of; we were on good behavior, even in "SIN CITY"! In Las Vegas, one sees every strata of society, the very wealthy, the very poor, the first-timers, the "Vegas veterans", the extremely odd, and the rarest of all; the residents of Las Vegas.

Each hotel and casino is a virtual sea of neon lights, music, bells, and conversation at a noise level slightly below that of human endurance. It is loud in Vegas! It is confusing too. This cacophony of lights and sounds can alter ones sense of clear thinking; and the value of a dollar loses its reality as money is so freely thrown around by the exuberant gamblers. Everyone is a potential winner when they get to Vegas!

When we boarded the plane to go to Vegas, the other passengers were happy and laughing, exchanging stories, buying cocktails and snacks; most looked like children on their way to the "Wonka Chocolate Factory". All things seemed possible on the flight up. On the flight home, the scene was quite different, quiet was deafening, few drinks were ordered, little conversation was exchanged; it was very subdued. Reality had fallen upon these travelers. It seems Vegas had lost its luster, and broken its promise of instant wealth. My Dad said to me many years ago, "If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is." My Dad was a wise man.

Nearly two years ago, we listened to a man who was promising us a transparent government, a fiscally sound government, an end to our foreign conflicts, the closing of Guantanamo jail, a coalition of cooperation between parties, and secure borders. He never really said how he would do this, he just said he would. He had rallies of wild supporters, ambiguous slogans, and the phrase, "Fundamentally Change America" (I'm still trying to figure out what that means). All of the bells and whistles were in full swing, his face was everywhere, his promises flowed like wine at an Italian wedding. The voters, like those passengers on their way to Las Vegas, were euphoric at the promises that had been made, at the prospect of making history, at the possible "Fundamental Change" that would be coming.

Reality has now set into America, the unfulfilled promises, the empty words, and the politics as usual in Washington has reared its ugly head. That man who promised so much has done nothing but plunge us into the deepest debt our nation has ever had, he has thrown our nation under the bus in front of the rest of the world on his "apology tour", and he has proved to be inept in handling of the securing our borders and domestic environmental crisis. He has lost his luster.

We are now those passengers on the way back home. The faces on the plane don't smile much except to try to hide the pain and disappointment of unfulfilled expectations. Their wallets are empty, their joy is gone; they just want to get back home.

All the noise, all the hoopla, all the music and rhetoric are over; the party is over. It is now time to clean up the mess. America is beginning to clean up the confetti, and sweep up the garbage of failed promise. We must continue this in November. Mr. Obama, the "Party Is Over"!