The Night the Lights Went Out in Washington, D.C.

We went to sleep last night without knowing what would happen in the halls of Congress. Newscasters looked at every angle of the impending crisis, airing video clips of quips and quotes from Republicans and Democrats on Capital Hill. The bottom line that echoed through the media was, “The United States Government will likely shut down at midnight tonight unless an agreement is reached on the budget and Obama Care.”

Of course, like many other people, I wondered why they can’t just get along with each other and compromise. Normally, I would have been like the chicken in the story about the difference between the chicken and the pig when it comes to breakfast. The chicken (eggs) is simply involved in breakfast, but the pig (sausage) is definitely committed. In this situation, I had an attitude more like the pig’s.

The government closing down may mean the possibility of mail not being delivered, post offices closed, people not receiving their social security check and possibly many days off for government workers, with no end in sight.

Also concerning to me was that I was planning to be on an airplane the next morning. Granted the airlines are private industry and should not be affected, but would airports be closed because of lack of TSA security or air traffic controllers? Frantic searching on the Internet last night still did not reveal an answer.

When I jumped out of bed this morning, I immediately turned on the television news. It was a fact. The U.S. Government shut down at midnight last night. I hurriedly turned on my phone to see that there was a voice mail from the airline. I felt that sinking feeling in my stomach as I dialed my mailbox. Ahh, good news! It was only a gate change in the airport. My flight was on time and on schedule!

For today’s gift, as I went through security, I made a point to thank each and every one of the TSA agents for coming to work today. At first, they were rather shocked at my acknowledgement, but then loosened up. One security agent said, “I don’t know if I’ll get my VA check, but I’m here.” Another said in jest, “Of course, I could be laying on the beach, but why wouldn’t I want to be at work instead?” Another told me that TSA is considered emergency service and they are required to work. She said, “Although, we don’t know if we will get paid.”

My crisis was averted, but for many other people it could be a long and tenuous time. Some folks may be forced to take unpaid time off and some may not receive their critical government checks. Though I was spared the night the lights went out in D.C., let’s hope our lawmakers quit being chickens and commit like the pigs to solving the problem.

In Giving,

Robin