Washington, D.C. You've heard the name. You may have even been there. But what did you see? A bunch of tourists with cameras, waiting in lines, spending massive amounts of money on cheap souvenirs. Joggers and bikers running through the parks, intent on getting in those last couple of miles. Maybe businessmen and women in dark suits, rushing down the street, phones to their ears, trying to make it to their oh-so-important meeting.
Chances are, if you spent more than ten minutes in D.C. that you probably saw all of this. And isn't it great? Don't look at the individual tableaux, but look at the symbolism beneath. People can freely come and explore our country. In fact, they WANT to come and revel in what we have to offer. Because it is good. I saw the cutest French family on my most recent trip. The children were so excited to have their pictures taken with the Washington monument in the background. They exclaimed away in their childish French, "My turn. My turn." As citizens, we can freely move about, going from one town to the next, exploring the history and culture(s) of our country. That's not the case in many countries, including Russia, where you have to register and unregister every time you travel to another city.
And then, look at the beauty. Huge expansive parks, lined with trees. Perfect for exercising or relaxing. My favorite activity at the National Mall is people watching. I am delighted as I see friends playing football, soccer, baseball, and frisbee, running up and down the fields, laughing and joking and teasing. Families sit down and have actual picnics, talking, COMMUNICATING with each other. Mothers with their babies in their strollers. Children sitting atop their father's shoulders. No wars. No politics. Just vitality. America was founded for times like this, for actions like these.
Then, there are the colors. Everywhere, whether spring, summer, winter, or fall, there are magnificent colors. Right now, the colors are red, orange, yellow, and green. Flowing, Falling, Fluttering, Cascading. Leaves and grass. Beauty, true, unadulterated beauty in the heart of a city. Oh, the glories of God and nature. Enough to make your heart sing and your feet dance.
And yes. Capitalism and Democracy. Businessmen who rush back and forth. Politicians who lobby and "persuade." Even they have their place, because without them, we would be stuck in a land full of tyrants and dictators. Whether we disagree or agree with what they have to say and what they do, without them, we would have no voice. We would have no jobs and no job options without healthy capitalism. Whether we like it or not, capitalism is what lets us do what we WANT to do, and not what we are TOLD to do. It allows for creativity (and depravity, yes), inspiration, courage, determination, persistence. It is this that allows a man to beat out a rhythm, in the middle of a sidewalk, on a set of brightly-colored garbage cans. And it's wonderful. It is this that lets us get lost in and dance to the melodies of a trumpeter in the middle of the day.
This life force is the heartbeat of our country. It's a magnificent artery, truly. But, even beyond that there is so much more to D.C.
My personal favorite is the National Gallery of Art. So much to say and exclaim over. Toulouse-Lautrec, Pablo Picasso, Edgar Degas, Giorgio Vasari! They even have the only public DaVinci in the country. There are not enough words to use to describe my awe, and there is never enough time to thoroughly devour all of the works of art in these three buildings and sculpture gardens.
There's the botanical garden that covers every climate on earth. There's Chinatown, and the many, many college areas where frat boys run around making fools of themselves. There's the Kennedy Center where theatre majors can experience what the stage is really about, and the audience can interact with the characters of the play. There is just so much to this city, that it can really be extraordinarily overwhelming. And that is wonderful. That is America.
This is my country. This is my love.
