Still In/On DC

Gentle and Not So Gentle Readers:

Even when that is nowhere near the intention, things demonstrate out Hedge’s admonition about spectacle, illusion, and decline of literacy, among other things, as Madame has pointed out.

The DC Chronicle continues!  Up in the morning and took the Metro out to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.  

Could hardly keep focus on church, so grand was all the architecture, and people said there was a Ukrainian church a ways down that we should see too if we had time (we didn’t).  I snapped a picture of a stone carving of “St Monica” for my cousin Monica, and sent it to her saying that I never knew.  She quipped back, “I was stoned.”

Then it was on to Arlington Cemetery.  Solemn place.

Saw the eternal flame at JFK's Grave, and Jackie and RFK’s gravesites close by. 

Went to a Confederate era house of the former owners of the property (and with a great view of the city).  Then headed to the Tomb of Unknowns, where we see the changing of the Guard.  MFP thought that was very neat.

I was reminded of my old friend from USC Chris Stadler, who messed up his knees being one of the honor guards there, and kept his pledge to never drink alcohol the rest of his life.  Chris was also the guy who showed me how important it is to just think.  We all kidded around with him one time after a grueling stint at grad school what he was going to do over the weekend since he didn’t drink.  He said he was going to think.  We laughed and said sure, what are you really going to do.  He said he was going to spend many hours quietly thinking.  How many of us do that anymore?  How many of us do that…ever? 

I really liked the Memorial outdoor (Roman) Amphitheater by the Tomb of the Unknowns, with its inscription: “When we assumed the soldier, we did not lay aside the citizen."  I sat in the presiding chair, hopefully not a faux pas (if it was, fates forgive me!) and imagined how similar it must have been in similar amphitheaters in Roman times.

I listened hard but could not hear the spirits of the Romans.  I thought maybe I would hear them whispering to us not to repeat all their mistakes, not to follow them into oblivion.