I am a self proclaimed geek. My friends all know this. I am usually the one that in the midst of conversation will throw his finger up in the air and proclaim "interesting fact, did you know that..." Even as a little boy I could be compared to the little boy in "Jerry McGuire" So, it should come as no surprise that I am taking a road trip through the colonies visiting our nation's capitol, Independence Hall and Colonial Williamsburg.
The fun thing about this trip is that it was unplanned. Originally, I had requested the days of February 12 - 16 for some much needed time off, but since last months road trip that left my car stranded in Chester, Virginia... well, I had to come back to New England to pick it up now that its fixed. So, lets see... what is a geek to do with a car, five days off and DC, Philadelphia and Williamsburg just a couple of hours away from each other? The Road beckoned. I've come to call this road trip the "heritage tour." The only damper on this road trip is that I wasn't able to bring any friends with me. Just bad timing...
I arrived in Washington, D.C. at around 8pm on Thursday, February 12th. I checked into a quaint little youth hostel named William Penn House, just down the street from the capitol building. In fact, you could see the capitol from the door of the hostel. I parked my car at Union Station and walked the whole town at night. I visited the Washington Monument. I've never really liked the Washington Monument really. For me the power lies in the iconic nature of the monument. Its a symbol of the capitol. But other than that, its really just a big stick in the ground. (to put it mildly)
After playing tag and just walking up to the Washington Monument to touch it... I made my way to the Lincoln Memorial. I bypassed the WWII Memorial and said to myself, I have to go see a man about a proclamation. It was my first time actually seeing the monument. Last month, we weren't allowed into the monument because the next night was going to be the big inauguration concert. Remember Beyonce? (all my single ladies, all my single ladies....) Coincidentally, I saw Lincoln on his 200 birthday. What a treat! Then I saw the Korean War Memorial and the Vietnam Memorial.
This morning, I woke up early and made it to my car to drop off my luggage (I wasn't going to lug it around the Capitol.) I had breakfast and took a Taxi to the Holocaust Museum and Memorial. The tour was intense. What struck me most was that I saw myself in that tour. I could have easily been one of those deemed unworthy to live. Hitler didn't only target Jews, he targeted political dissidents, Gypsies, Homosexuals, The Elderly, The disabled and mentally ill. I know I would have probably been taken away with the homosexuals (I doubt Hitler would have believed in "ex-gays") and the political dissidents (my mouth has always gotten me in trouble!) I imagined myself the whole tour walking with a pink triangle on my shirt. I thought "Thank God that I was born in this time in this land." what particularly struck me was they did to the retarded children. There was one picture in particular of a boy who was killed. He stood naked in his doctors office right before being carted out to be killed. My heart swelled for him. How could anyone deem him unfit to live? How could it be that no one wanted him? I wanted to reach through the picture and transcend time and space screaming "I'll take him, don't kill him! I'll take care of him!" I think everyone should see the museum. After the tour, I bought a Magnet that read: "Next time you hear of hatred, Next time you hear of Genocide... Remember what you saw here" I think I understand a little better the jewish proverb that says "Never Forget"
Afterwards I went to the Smithsonian Museum of American History. It wasn't all that I thought it would be. I made my way through it faster than I thought I would. Some favorites were Judy Garland's ruby slippers, Martha Washington's dress and the Vietnam War exibit.
Timing was perfect too since I received my tax return today. I drove to delaware and bought my new Mac computer (NO SALES TAX!)
I will spend my valentines day in the city of brotherly love (philadelphia).
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