94. Final Thoughts from D.C.

In Washington there are obviously places larger than life that incarnate the spirit of a nation. I wrote about some. Then there are individual encounters that present unique perspectives. Talking to people, strangers till now, feels like the glue that gives life to the Big Picture.

At Arlington an older woman sat on a bench dressed for the occasion. She was here to be the witness for a ten year old boy murdered in Texas by an illegal alien. She even had cards printed out to honor his memory. She was very clear as to why she came to mark the Inauguration of a new President.

My AirBnB north of downtown was hosted by a woman from Iran. She was excited to be going to one of the Inaugural Balls, specifically "The Peace Ball" to meet Angela Davis (UC Marxist professor when I was in high school), Alice Walker (author of “The Color Purple”) and Ibram X Kendi (Critical Race Theory author). I would have loved to go and considered buying a ticket, but my cargo pants and hiking shoes would not blend in with the tuxedos. Besides, I already had a ticket to the Washington Capitals NHL hockey game on the same evening. Even though I can’t skate, even backwards, that would be a better match for my attire.

Another woman from Trinidad (a South American two island nation comprised of Trinidad and Tobago) lived in the same house with her young daughter who went to a Hebrew Immersion Charter School. They weren’t Jewish, but as a parent you opt for the best school first. 

Another visiting guest from Ireland worked at NASA. She had already navigated the Pacific from French Polynesia to South America following the inspirational adventure by Thor Heyerdahl of "Kon Tiki” fame. She was a physicist majoring now in “human space flight.” I was astounded that she was only in her late 20’s and had accomplished so much.  I suddenly felt more hope for the younger generation. She had gone to and is going to destinations far beyond my comfortable sphere of experience. Impressive!

Then there was the cameraman from Denmark TV waiting on Pennsylvania Avenue for the presidential motorcade. He was excited to show me a photo on his cell phone of his daughter meeting the new King of Denmark. Very excited. To our disappointment, the new President never came down Pennsylvania, but chose another route instead.

Then there was the security person in Alexandria. He was from Tobago. What the heck? Two people in two days. He came to the US, married, had children, retired with grandchildren. And now he went back to work. By choice? Or the high expense of DC? Or to get out of the house with some peace of mind? He was happy with life on his own terms.

I remember the gentleman who sat next to me at the Capitals hockey game. He had his online ticket on his iPad, but without Wi-Fi could not show it to security to enter. So he had to buy a second ticket. He was rooting for the Pittsburgh Penguins and wore a yellow and black Penguin hat with an unusual ’47 stitched on the side. I asked him if he had his hat customized for the new 47th President. He looked shocked. Of course not. So what’s with the ’47? Oh ya, it’s the trademark of an American fashion brand for hats and apparel. Who would have thought that.

It seemed ’47 was everywhere! Unbelievable. 

The hockey game was also the site where several young couples were announcing their engagement, cruising the vendors' gallery with their own entourage and signage. “ This House Divided, Just Got Engaged.”

Did they root for different teams, different political parties, or just different life styles? And now to be married! Is this what Lincoln meant? It was encouraging. We can come together.

On my last day I had lunch at an unpretentious but ubiquitous cafe name “Bus Boys and Poets,” owned by a couple also from Iran or Iraq. I enjoyed my Moroccan bean soup and falafel salad. I sat in a booth under a photo showing President Barack Obama (’44) in the same restaurant greeting the owners. It was all coming together from number 44 to 45, 46 and now 47. 

Then there’s the Metro rail system. I stood by the exit near two seated women with their own unique hats. My guess is that they’ve been in their share of marches. They were masked, but I struck up a conversation anyway. I could see an anti NRA button, and the Blue Wave, but what was the “MOOK” button? I asked. She responded that it was a secret society she could not talk about. Oh really. Well let’s see what Google has to say. Sure enough, it was so secret, not even the internet knew. I was impressed. Kudos to any group of people that can evade the internet’s prying eye. I offered a few guesses, but they were all denied. Thank God that privacy still exists, even if others may call it conspiracy.

Earlier on the bus, an African-American young mother with two children under the age of one sat opposite me. She was on her cell phone and I was talking with the bus driver. She interrupted her cell call to ask me, “You’re from California, aren’t you?” I looked surprised and answered, “ Well, yes. Why do you ask?” “I can tell by your accent.” “My accent?” I replied. "Out West we feel that we have no accent. You are the ones with an accent.” She smiled, recognizing my bias. I and my accent got off at the next stop.

And so it goes. One unexpected encounter after another. I came to Washington, D.C. to re-experience the landmarks of our Founding Principles which dot the landscape. They stand here like constellations of fixed stars that bejewel the firmament - Arlington, Supreme Court, the Capitol et al.

At the same time the random encounters with people were like comets that darted across this sky. Brief, serendipitous, but tender and moving. They provided some color that connected the dots of history with emotion. One is not complete without the other. The Big Picture needs all of our smaller stories to give it meaning. From Achilles' armor to Kennedy's eternal flame our narratives are built one on the other from generation to generation. Whether personal or national they are woven together. And part of that tapestry can be seen on display in our nation's capital.

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Thank you to all who have followed me on my trip to DC. I deeply appreciate your encouragement. And I hope you also experienced the many fleeting comets among the historical fixed stars in the skies of Washington.