for the Journey

wandering past the frozen reflection pool, my thoughts were anything but.  there is such an energy to this city.  something about DC calls to me, makes me feel at home, settles my spirit.  Washington is a city of thought, emotion, memory.

the ripples of my mind splash across my surroundings:  Lincoln enshrined in his temple like a hero of old, a child and his father laughing and flying a kite on the lawn, old women making crayon rubbings of names on the Vietnam Memorial wall.  so dynamic, so refreshing.  my thoughts and person are drawn back to this city again and again.

i came upon a shrine i had never visited before.  the (somewhat) new World War II memorial sits silently at the far end of the reflection pool.  i entered the open pavillion with an open mind.  looking around, i found that it made me immediately…uncomfortable.

at first glance, this appeared to be a vain monument to success - a gleeful cheer for mankind.  i nervously avoided the gaze of the Japanese man walking past me to see a triumphant engraving on the floor, celebrating Victory on Land! Victory at Sea!  Victory in the Air!  Kilroy was engraved on one wall, playfully peering out on victorious citizens and defeated guests alike.  the polished stones all around me were displaying some celebratory symbol or quote of the great war to end all wars.  my stomach began to churn.

then i found, resting solemnly near a quiet pond, these words:

Here We Mark The Price Of Freedom.

above the pond was an impressive and expansive wall of gold stars, each representing 100 Americans who had lost their lives during the War.  there were over 4,000 stars.  in this quiet corner i found the true weight of the monument.  “us vs. them” dissolved as strangers stood silently side by side in reverence and morbid awe.  Washington became again an ocean of thought, emotion, memory.

that night i cheered, screamed, and laughed with strangers in a local bar, as we watched the local Redskins in the NFL playoffs.  as we enjoyed the night of victory and defeat, i bought a round to mark the price of freedom.

for the Journey,

-louie-

i took the metro to the heart of Washington, DC.  a picture on the bus made me laugh: it was meant to indicate that the fare machine no longer accepted pennies, but the image was basically a big red X through a picture of Abraham Lincoln.  whoops…

to balance things out i began at the place shown on the tails side of the penny - the Lincoln Memorial, where tourists, locals, students, and families gathered in clumps on the tall steps leading into the Greek columned temple.  i started up the imposing staircase.  i slid around a professor who was giving a lecture in Japanese and i had to weave nimbly across the steps to avoid intruding on haphazard photographs.  once i finally fought my way to the top of the tall steps (resisting the urge to have a personal “Rocky” moment) i came face to face with the man himself.

the Lincoln statue is an intimidating picture of what Honest Abe would look like if he were still alive, turned to stone, residing in Washington, and 30 feet tall.  it really is impressive.  the atrium that houses him is an area of quiet reverence, commanded by the great figure who silently watches over his people.  his words are carved on the walls around him, wise thoughts from an incredible man.  something tickled in the back of my memory…what was it that Abraham Lincoln said?

“Towering genius disdains a beaten path.”

these are words to live by.  taking my leave of the towering genius, i set out on my own path to explore the rest of Washington.

inspiration for the Journey,

-louie-