Sequester Kvetching

Struck up a conversation with a couple I didn’t know during intermission of a play I attended tonight.

Someone the couple did know asked about their trip.

I asked where they had gone.

They travel a lot the woman said. Two South American countries they hadn’t yet visited, the man said.

They traveled by plane and cruise ship. They had a lovely time until the return trip. They were aboard a Carnival cruise ship. I expected to hear a tale of power failure, no AC, toilets backed up, food spoiled.

No, the cruise itself went fine. The problem occurred after they disembarked. What was it?

Sequestration.

What?

Because of sequestration only three U.S. Customs officers were on duty. As a result, they had to wait in a long line, which made them miss their flight.

They didn’t get home until midnight. It was a nightmare!

As they kvetched, visions danced in my head of justice delayed due to court closures, furloughed federal workers, the shrinking safety net for homeless on this night with near zero-degree wind chills, children of returning military troops — you know, those troops that we should support — losing student aid and grants, and more.

The woman was so incensed, she was heading out to a sequestration protest in a couple of days. “And I am going to tell my sequestration story.”

At that moment, the lobby lights blinked, signaling the end of intermission. I was so glad to be able to return to the darkened theater as visions of pampered complaining Americans danced in my head.

Then the second half of “Raisin in the Sun” got under way.