m e a d o w l a r k

Renee’ and I were able to slip away last week for a very lightly scheduled business trip to Washington D.C. (I think the term, “Boondoggle” may have been used more than once)

By day, I sharpened my public speaking skills on salesmen and my engineering peers. By night, we dated, shared complete thoughts (doesn’t happen often with teenagers), and enjoyed each other’s company while sampling the culture, food, and scenery of our nation’s capital.

I can only imagine how long a person would have to be there to see all of the “must-see” monuments, exhibits and events. We walked the National Mall until our joints ached. We visited many sites, including the 9/11 Memorial at the Pentagon. The lighter shade of the new bricks on the exterior wall point  you to the exact crash site. Even though I was standing there, I still struggled to comprehend how a tragedy like this could occur. It is beyond me.

I am thankful that not everyone thinks the like me, (too boring and too many bicycles)  however I cannot understand how anyone could think that freedom is not a good thing. At the White House we saw a protestor (whom I smelled way before I had seen). He had set up a tent, sang folk songs and barked to both of the people in his audience about how we need nuclear disarmaent now! (umm, ok…)

This, on the heals of our visit to the Holocaust Museum (the biggest must-see of them all) where we learned of Hitler’s skillful use of terror to persuade entire villages when one villager chose an opposing world view.

I have to admit that the Holocaust Museum changed my perspective on life. I was taught in school that it was a madman who was bent on extinguishing a race of people, which it was, but I never learned how much world-wide culpability existed. There was plenty of shame to go around.

Renee’ and I decided that the entire city is a must-see for our whole family. The history, the government, the monuments, the museums are all are too much for us to not experience together before growing up gets in the kids’ way.

Tentative plans are for late May. Interested? Seeing family there would only make it that much more of an event.

chuck

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