OK, here is what I wrote and erased, but it's probably not what you thought it was going to be.
"Let's go fishing today kids!" Dad yelled from the hallway as he woke his two sons in the early-morning darkness of 4 am. The boys, 12 and 14-years old, jumped out of bed, threw on their clothes and raced downstairs. They couldn't stop talking as their mother cooked up some eggs and pancakes.
She was as happy as the boys, since they rarely got the chance to get out together as a family. She packed up a picnic basket after breakfast as the boys and dad loaded up the car with rods, reels, lures and nets. His boys were growing up fast and he thought back to the time when he and his father had done this same ritual - spend the entire day at the national park, coming home exhausted and sunburned with a box full of fish.
Loaded up, they hit the road for the two-hour drive to the national park. The morning fog burned off after the first hour and the boys fell back to sleep in the backseat until they pulled up to the park gates. A long line of cars had already formed at the entrance. It seemed like it took longer to inch their way toward the guards at the gate than drive the two hours to get there.
Finally, it was their turn. The guards were all stern-faced and carrying automatic weapons. "It looks like we're entering a war zone," he whispered to his wife as he shook his head, taking in the body armor, helmets and swat-team mystique the new Park Rangers.
"I liked them better when they wore green and those Yogi Bear hats," she said with a laugh.
The car was surrounded by men in black masks and machine guns. "Driver, step out of the vehicle slowly," one of them commanded. Dad got out the car and followed their orders to open the trunk. "Patience..." he thought to himself as they rooted around in the trunk, "Just do as they say and we'll be through this in no time." But he couldn't help the feeling of emasculation. He was embarrassed in front of his wife and boys.
The same commanding voice followed up, "I need the ID of everyone in the vehicle."
"You need to see it? Is it so hard to just ask to see it... politely?"
"You are on federal property. I need your ID now."
"Fine, here's my drivers license."
"This license is not in compliance with federal rules."
"What are you talking about? It's not expired."
"It does not comply with the federal RealID program. Do you have your passport?"
"Passport? Of course I don't have my passport. I'm just here with my family to go fishing! Are you nuts? "
"Step away from the vehicle, now! Put your hands in front of you where I can see them!" the man in black yelled as another guard reached for a taser. "You are forbidden from entering this facilty."
"Good. Give me my license back."
"We are under heightened security color 'pastel blue' against terrorist attacks."
"You have a report of Allstate insurance salesmen and their families attacking with fishing poles?"
"This is no laughing matter. Homeland security is serious business."
"I can see that."
"You need to exit the facility entrance immediately."
"No problem. I can't get out of here fast enough. By the way, I own this park as much as you do. This is my park."
"Get an ID that complies with federal regulations and you can enter it."
He snatched back his license and slammed the car door shut. "Come on kids, let's go find a place to fish where we don't need a passport," emphasizing the word passport by holding his nose to block the smell.
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If you live in a state that does not comply with the federal RealID program, you won't be able to use your state drivers license to board an aircraft or even enter a national park, according to the Homeland Security people. When they ask you to show them your papers, you'll have to use a passport.
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