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April 20, 2006
Omigod omigod omigodomigodomigodomigod OMIGOD!
I am in Washington, D.C.
I am in my country’s capital. And lest anyone tell you that all us flaming liberals aren’t patriots, when the man sitting between me and the window on the plane pointed out the Capitol Building, I gasped in his ear and practically crawled onto his lap to get a better look.
He was very nice about it. Even though I repeated the entire performance 15 seconds later when he pointed out the Washington Monument.
I’m still not doing very well at believing I’m actually here. This is all pretty friggin’ unreal.
As I sat in the back of the cab (I overtipped the cabbie), I kept repeating to myself that I WAS LOOKING AT THE FUCKING WASHINGTON MONUMENT. The REAL Washington Monument. Not on TV. Really, in the same time zone as me and everything.
I’m such a fucking hick.
I’m not sure why the Washington Monument is a bigger deal than the Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials. Maybe because it’s just so different, because it’s so big and tall and graceful and pointy. I know why the Capitol didn’t really thrill me so much once I saw it. It looks just like the one from home. I spent a lot of time in that building (the Idaho version). Worked there one year when the legislature was in session, so the US Capitol Building looked like an old friend.
I keep remembering this comic book type kids’ mag that my mom used to have from her childhood. The main character was Polly-something. It was picture-based, a two-color printing process. Black and white with an extra color laid on, blue, orange, pink or green, depending on the page. It had all sorts of articles. Adventure stories, recipes, drawings of the current fashions and historical stories, all done in comic book format.
She had two or three of them, and I had them practically memorized. And in one of them was the story of the 19th century campaign to finish the Washington Monument. One page was pink, one orange, and one blue. And as I looked at that Great. Big. Obelisk from first the plane and then the cab, that’s the thing that kept coming to mind. My history connecting to history, I guess.
I don’t know.
I cried a little in the back of the cab. Because that’s the kind of sentimental dork I am. Damn, you should watch the opening ceremonies of the Olympics with me sometime. I turn into a complete fountain and sob with pride for all the athletes. All of 'em. I don't care what country they're from. They're at the Olympics and so I cry. Just ‘cause it’s so cool that they get to participate. Can anyone say “Big, ole Gooberhead”?
Anyway I’m here, and that’s what matters.
That and the fact that I have ordered room service. I haven’t eaten since breakfast and I am by God gonna eat now.
Posted by sally at April 20, 2006 09:42 PM
©2006 - All content copyright Sally Eames-Harlan unless otherwise noted