Fun in King Triton's Playground

Well well! If it's April, 2004, "The Gods Are Bored" has turned nine! Closing in on a decade of praise and worship suggestions for those longing for the Rapture! Don't you wish Armageddon would happen? A whole bunch of people would suddenly disappear, leaving more room for the rest of us. And it would be easy enough to convince the remaining Christians to switch praise and worship teams. After all, being Left Behind means you're plump pickings for the Great Beast. I'm quite sure gentle Queen Brighid the Bright would be an appealing alternative. She already is, and the Horsemen haven't even left the gate.

Easter Sunday used to be one of those rush-rush days. Rush to church. Rush to Sunday School. Rush to make dinner. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh. And not once did I hear a sermon that didn't mention the fact that the re-greening of the Earth mirrors Jesus' return from the grave. Never in the other order, though. But if you think about it, it's really all about Spring. No real pressing need to throw Jesus into the mix. The revealed religion of Demeter and Persephone makes far more sense, and it invites bored Goddesses into our lives. All hail!

But I digress.

It's kind of wonderful to see the sunrise on Easter morning, so my daughter The Heir and I got up in the wee hours and drove to Atlantic City for a 6:00 a.m. low tide. This was no ordinary Easter egg hunt. We were jonesing the trove of sea glass that King Triton and mighty Oshun can occasionally heave up on the beach. We figured that nobody would be out looking for sea glass at daybreak on Easter morning, especially with 30-mph sustained winds and temperatures in the 40s.

Wrong, of course. The same old chap with the yappy dachshund we see every time we go was out there ahead of us, and he of course had pulled the super treasure from the beach: an antique bottle stopper, beautifully frosted from a century at sea.

But this local geezer and his sifter are no match for the sharp-eyed Heir, who found a fistful of gorgeous stuff, jewelry grade and in vivid colors. We nearly froze, but it was worth it. Then, hot breakfast at a classic South Jersey diner, and then a side trip to the thrift store!

As Walt Whitman said, "To me, the sea is a continual miracle." No wonder so many bored deities make Their homes within! How sad it is that humankind has so little respect for this precious part of the planet. When I stand at water's edge on the beach, I feel how puny our landmasses are, set aside its flowing grandeur.

Long story short, this was the happiest Easter I can ever remember. All glory, laud, and honor to Triton and Oshun for allowing Heir and I to grace Their world with our presence! The land springs anew, but the sea is alive always. So mote it be.