Wax Dummies

On Monday we went to Victoria B.C. on the Clipper. Oh was it lovely to have a day alone with my husband! I didn’t have to cut food for anyone, no one frantically started yelling that they needed to go potty and we went into cute little shops that had all sorts of breakable items in them without a care in the world! Top that off with a Caramel Frappaccino and the pecan chocolate caramel butter torte thingy that we shared and you have an almost perfect day! (It wasn’t quite perfect because I had to get up at the unreasonable hour of 4:30 a.m.!)

While we were there we visited the Royal London Wax Museum. I had never been to one before and let me just say I was fascinated. We saw British royalty, early American settlers, Napoleon (Bonaparte, not Dynamite!) There was even an entire section that was dedicated to devices of torture that existed in the middle ages. (Interestingly enough most were used by the “church” to punish heretics. I thought it was kind of sad that all those nasty creations were thought up by people who claimed to know God.)

The museum itself was amazing. I could really see the attention to detail that went into these things. The royalty had ornate clothing, jewelry, crowns, scepters; everything you would expect to see if you met the Queen in person. There were laugh lines around the eyes and the men even had hairy knuckles! One of the figures was of George W. Bush and it was so lifelike we’re still not convinced it was a wax figure. (Jon wishes I had taken a picture so we could see if it had red eye or not.)

All of this made me think. I don't want to be just a wax dummy with all the outward appearances of religion but with none of the life. I don't want to stand still and watch the world go by on the other side of the glass because I am to afraid to step out there. I learned early on not to set my sights too high because if you don't have lofty goals you don't have fiery crashes when you miss them!

But I'm not satisfied to be safe any more. I'd rather feel the rush of wind in my face before I burst into flames than nothing at all. I'm stepping out from behind the glass. Care to join me?