So Much To Do With So Little Time

SFcam: 2012: Part Eighteen
(May 8, 2012)

You may be predicting that I'll make some clever remark about how small the Capital building was in person, and to an extension you're right, but it certainly wasn't any less impressive. Even more impressive was the waiting line we had to endure before we could enter.

If you do manage to get inside, it's quite an impressive sight. I don't think there was anywhere in the world that made me feel more at Rome (excluding Rome itself) than the Capital. What with all the pillars and columns and gold-plated ceilings and grand statues. And that's not even mentioning the Library of Congress. Never before had I seen a library so beautiful. It wasn't in the flash or pizazz, but the craftsmanship and architecture.

As the title suggests, we were running a tight schedule. After the Capital and the Library of Congress, we attended a ceremony at the Tomb of Unknown Soldiers. What I consider to be one of the most honorable of gestures, this monument and its cemetery honors fallen soldiers who were never identified or recovered from war. A specific tomb housing the unidentified soldiers from WWI, WWII, and other American conflicts is constantly being guarded by Marines. We were lucky enough to witness the ceremonial transition of guard that occured every few months.

The final photograph you see is the resting place of John F. Kennedy, nearby the facility. During that murky day, I remember looking at his grave, with its single slate and burning flame and thinking to myself how simple it was.