Once Upon a Time…

Headstone at St John’s Episcopal Church in Richmond

Once upon a time… Is there a phrase with as much magic? Wikipedia tells me the phrase has been in use since 1380! Most of the tales starting with “Once upon a time…” ended with, “And they all lived happily ever after.”

I’m sure my parents read me stories with that beginning, but my memory of those words is of Walt Disney starting his television adventures with a very caring, “Once upon a time…” Those words got me ready for adventure, mystery, and feeling good. Of course, I didn’t know Walt Disney so I have to use my imagination about what kind of man he must have been. I think he’d be okay with that. Disney’s imagination kickstarted the Happiest Place on Earth in Los Angeles and an even larger destination in Orlando. Once upon a time, all were welcome there. I think all are still welcome inside all the Disney Parks but my impression is Disney World is getting to be like West Berlin in the Cold War.

I walked about yesterday at St John’s Episcopal Church, the site where Patrick Henry made his inspirational “Give me liberty or give me death!” speech. Or at least that’s what he supposedly said, no exact record of the speech was written down at the time it was given. Ah well… He made the speech to inspire others to support a war against England and what he considered the tyranny of taxation without representation, like in D.C. now.

I finished my walkabout at Libby Hill overlooking Richmond and an old smokestack, “Lucky Strike.”

And they all lived happily ever after.

Richmond Skyline