DC Day 1

About that flight, and my optimism that avoiding earphones might lead to an interesting conversation:

I did avoid earphones.
Everyone around me did not.
And I am not so interested in interesting conversation that I would mis-read that very clear signal. 

Plugged-in=Checked-out

Fine, fellow travellers.  Stick with music you've heard a thousand times already.  Read the book that will be there later for you.  But you've missed out on me.

This did free me up to put on earphones and watch DirecTV on the 3 hours flight.  Watching TV fused to feel like a big treat, because we don't have it at home.

This time, though, it felt more like a series of snapshots of the culture.  Jon Stewart of the Daily Show, for instance.  I think I used to find him funny.  This time, I couldn't help feeling, "Ouch.  This guy is hurtful.  And snide. And. . .and. . .hurtful."

Switched to HGTV and watched a series of shows--makeover types, HouseHunters--about Americans upgrading where they live.  Made me wonder how the producers find people to be on these shows.  If we wanted to turn our backyard into an "Outside Room," for instance, whom do we write to?  And does the show pay for the makeover or do we have t?  And if the show does, do we pay taxes on that improvement?

From the Regan airport, I found my way on the Metro to a pre-arranged coffee shop where Suzanne met me.  That Metro journey included a line change, and I didn't make any mistakes getting from one point to the other.  This is the kind of thing that makes me feel good about myself. 

We walked from her place to the Iwo Jima memorial.  Had no idea it was that huge.  Huge. 
She told me something about it that you may not know, but are about to be glad you do know: 

As you know, it features 5 men.  But there are 11 hands.  That's right--an extra hand, the Hand of God.
Love it.

A monument like this makes me think of a moment--it is a moment captured, after all.  And there is a lot of talk about "living for the moment,"  but in fact, the moments that are worth making statues out of are never just moments, they are always culminations of a lifetime of choices and preparaiton.  Those Marines didn't become victorious warriors in a second. Theirs was "a long obedience in the same direction."  (Eugene Peterson's words, not mine.  Though he wrote them in reference to something else, kind of.) 

We all have moments in the making right now, I think.  I hope.