Five Minute Friday - Crowd

 

Every Friday I look forward to this time.  Time to clear all the cobwebs out of my head.   What about you?  Got five minutes? Come and write with us; it’s the best kind of free therapy. 1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking 2. Link back to Lisa Jo's blog by clicking here and invite others to join in. Find out how over here. 3. And don’t forget to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. OK, are you ready?
Give me your best five minutes on:

On CROWDs

GO:

I have 96 first cousins on both sides of my family.  Yes, you heard me correctly....96 of them.  My mom's family is a crowd all by itself.  When we get together there is no intimate little gathering....nope we have to rent halls for this.  Here we are the ones of us who could be there....together for my grandparents 50th birthday.  I was not married at that time and I added a spouse and three children myself.  My aunt had twelve children on her own.  They are all married and have a ton of kids too.  You are never alone in my family.  There is always a crowd around. 

Since we are talking about crowds let me tell you how much I hate them.  I am mildly (that is a lie I am terrified) claustrophic in crowds.  One Christmas when 30 of my family decided to go see Christmas at the Opryland Hotel I had a massive panic attack when I got separated from my family in the crowd.  A huge man in a cowboy had cut me off from the pack (yes, we run in packs)...my cousin Amanda saw the panic rising and got to me before I came unglued.  She looked Mr. Cowboy dead in the eyes and in her sweetest southern drawl said, "The word for today boys and girls is "claustrophobic.  Can you say "claustrophobic?  I knew you could."  Cowboy realized the problem and grabbed my hand and got me through the throng before I had a melt down.  Crowds and Karen....not good. 

I sing a song somewhere around Easter each year called Via Dolorosa by Sandi Patti.  The term Via Dolorosa translates as the way of grief or suffering.  I love the song.  I cry everytime I sing it.  The lyrics that rip me off the frame are these; " Down the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem that day, The soldiers tried to clear the narrow street.  But the crowd pressed in to see The Man condemned to die on Calvary."  Everytime I think of this throng of people who came to see my Lord and Savior die it just breaks my heart.  But then I remember that I am an Easter person and know that this was all part of God's plan so that I may have salvation...me and a crowd of other people, and it makes me smile.