This whole week seemed to be one of those weeks where everything falls into place. Life is like that sometimes. You may have a plan, and things don’t work out, but then, things seem to come together one by one and everything is simply all right. For a while, there has been tension, disappointment, anger and lots of other emotions concerning South Carolina. The Emmanuel AME Church and the Confederate flag has really been saturating media, and it has affected a lot of us. Here is my abbreviated lil story that led me right to the State house grounds….

I got a new truck February of 2014. From the beginning I couldn’t fuel up without the gas nozzle stopping prematurely. I thought all gas stations were evil except Exxon. My transmission went out but warranty took care of that for me. Ever since the transmission I would hear this loud “Bump” when I hit the gas. SO I didn’t hit the gas so hard anymore and I didn’t hear the bump. I needed an oil change before going out of town, and didn’t have time for AAA Repair Center to check all the other disrespectful amber warning lights from the dashboard panel. But when I came back, I couldn’t get fuel at all, so I had to take it back to the shop.

About 3 weeks from waiting for a back-ordered part, they finally got my fuel evaporative system and $1,300  worth of other stuff cooperating just so I could get some fuel. Then they told me my motor mounts needed replacing, but they couldn’t do it. Dude suggested that I get them bolted and welded. Didn’t sound right to me, so I took it to the welding man, who told me he wasn’t doing it. Took it back to where I got my transmission replaced, and after he drove it around, he told me the guy who could do it was on vacation. So he gave me another shop who could get it done for me this same week. Called, but they said bring it in the next day as they were to busy. Long story short, took it in Wednesday, but they had to order parts and finish up Thursday. Thursday came and they needed more time…so Friday was the completion date.

With the nature of the unfortunate events in Charleston, SC and the national plea to remove the Confederate flag, votes have been submitted, and the result is the flag is coming down. The State house is a minute walk from the car shop that my truck is in. I was supposed to be in Charleston preparing for a wedding but with no truck, I wasn’t going anywhere. Instead of watching it on the news or Facebook feed, I said I’ll catch the bus, get to the State House, witness history, fellowship in the crowd, take some pictures, walk to the shop, pay some money and leave better than when I arrived. And so I did.

After missing the first bus because the online time and the actual times were different, I drove to the gas station where the bus stop is. I waited in the hot sun, and almost gave up and walked back to the truck. After making a call and being convinced that the bus was late, but coming, I walked again to the bus stop. I waited and saw it coming and felt the excitement. On the bus, the bus driver new the passengers already on the bus and they were engaged with their conversations. I pulled out my big camera and an older man with nice shoes plus the two elderly women asked if I were taking pictures of the flag. We conversed all the way to the station and I got off the bus knowing 3 more people.

Helping the elderly woman, I secured us a seat in some shade. Not the best of views, but we were surrounded with positive energy, embraced in each other’s diversity and waiting for the flag to come down. It was a good day for SC. I saw several folk I knew, met some new people, witnessed history and got my truck back. Take a look…