Coaster cars parked, bumper cars boarded up. The carousel still and silent.
The sign says, “Open March 12.”
Would there be joy if we broke the rules and hopped the fence? We could climb to the top of the water slide. Maybe slide through its dry tunnel.
No joy there.
What if we fired up the machinery? The floating sky buckets, blinking lights and whir of motors would all indicate movement.
But movement or machinery alone does not produce joy.
Joy is the result of presence. God’s. Yours. Others.
Amusement parks, of course, are optional.