I am in Washington D.C. as a "sort of tourist" for the first time in 20+ years. I visited back when I was a freshman in high school and I thought that I understood the magnitude of this incredible city. I really didn't. While I feel I was a unique kind of kid, one that grasped a greater sense of things in the world at that young age, nothing strengthens beliefs and feelings in someone like age and having a family of your own. But well get to that later on.
Boo on the Capital city for its parking. It sucks! I drove aimlessly looking for a place to park and stop and eat. We tried to go to the White House, nuh-uh, Lincoln's Memorial, nah, how about the Washington Monument, nope, okay the Smithsonian, didn't want us! Trying to escape the city and feed ourseleves, we lucked out as someone left a parking spot open on a corner. Our little SUV rental fit perfectly inside the parking lines just outside a Fuddruckers, mmm mmm. We got out examined the signs and could not see anything illegal about parking there. The DC police saw otherwise and promptly issued a parking ticket four minutes later as I was enjoying my delicious burger :(
Useless Tyler trivia knowledge knows that the city of Washinton D.C. was designed to confuse and demoralize visiting dignitaries. Let me tell you something... they absolutely succeeded. The streets might as well be upside down for cryin out loud! I think the smartest people in the world must be D.C. cabbies to know how to navigate through the maze that is the ridiculous combination of one way streets, twisty, bendy, roundabouts, and wagon wheel circus drives that is the District of Columbia.
After making numerous wrong turns, even with the GPS, I suddenly found my way on Arlington drive and was quickly moving over the beautiful bridge crossing over to our nations cemetary. I decided to stop and walk the grounds. What an amazing display of everything that is good and pure about this wonderful country that I live in. I am so proud to be an American and honored by the men and women who have served my country for me. So that I may have rights and choices and raise my children with the same freedoms and blessings. God bless our troops.
Over 320,000 soldiers are buried on the grounds of Arlington National Cemetary. Please stop and think about that for a moment. Although the largest, Arlington is just one of 130 maintained cemeteries in 39 states. The silence and reverence of the place is incredible. Oddly, I am glad that I was able to be without my wife and children present and feel the incredible weight of wanting to share the experience with them and prepare them to visit this city.
I have two incredibly powerful images forever imprinted on my brain about this city and they came racing back today. I was 13 years old and it was Memorial Day. I stepped out of the tour bus into a chilly drizzle rain and onto the grounds of Arlington. The cherry trees were in full bloom and their flowers were like drifts of pure white and light pink snow. The thousands and thousands of hand planted flags waved gently at each grave site. From the top of a rise I watched as a soldier was lowered into the ground... the guns sounded, taps played... a widow standing strong next to her children was handed a vivid American flag. Its colors seemed so incredibly bright on that gray and dreary day. I cried.
Idelible snap shot number two took place not even 1.5 miles away at the Vietnam Memorial. Being a young adolecent I tried quite hard to keep the young ladies from seeing me in a less than macho state and I thought I was emotionally under control as we again exited our trasportation. I was okay for a whole 10 minutes. I was always fascinated with the war in 'Nam. G.I. Joe, Army/Navy surplus, war novels, you name it I was into it as a kid. I knew it was not a glamorous thing but the full severity of the war didn't hit home for me until that morning. The rain stopped momentarily and as I quietly strolled along the Wall admiring its beauty and irony of it being designed by an Asian, I came upon a women and a young boy who could not have been much older than I. They were embracing one another and then slowly retrieved a piece of parchment and black crayon and began to make a roughing over a name on the wall. His fathers name. I cried.
I am honored to have been present that day 20 years ago to help me understand the lengths to which others gave of themselves to found and forge this great country. I am glad to have been here today to feel such love for my own family. I am grateful and thankful to each and every soldier that has given such unmeasurable sacrifice so that I can now have a beautiful wife, daughter and son of my own, living in the country that I love. God bless America and keep her free.
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