stepping off the edge

Long overdue for several reasons. First, what is up with these home exchanges and Airbnbs that do not have network connectivity? First world problem for certain but… come on people. Second, the subject matter of this post may be troubling and a bit too serious for some. If I make light on the way it is only to relieve the tension.

Hard subject but please do not come to me with the denial of “critical race theory” bullshit. It’s history, deal with it, don’t deny it. Instead, can we just learn from it? Wynton Marsalis once said in the Ken Burns documentary, “Jazz,” “Slavery is the dragon to be slayed, the fatal flaw in an otherwise great country’s history.” A pretty gracious and gentle statement coming from a Black man. The Museum of African American Culture and History is a Smithsonian project that is six floors of disgrace, deadly avarice, cruelty, exaltation, and survival. It starts on the third and lowest level below the entry grade. The start of the slave trade, the mechanics and commerce driven origins. One quote that has stayed with me is from a 1500’s slave trader: “Slavery was cruel and hard but the economic benefit was worth the inconvenience.”

Let me write that word once again. INCONVENIENCE

I can only hope that those who are spouting hateful rhetoric appreciate that some day their words and the author of those words may well appear in a future museum and how ridiculous and hurtful they will sound.

Below is a video of the fountain on the level just below the entry grade with the basin of a three story fountain, along with the immortal words of Sam Cooke…

A fine display chronicling the Haitian revolution. The first successful slave revolt. It is a shame that the French left the country broken and without anything in the treasury, as if they didn’t feel the need to repay for decades of abuse to the Haitian people. The country of Haiti is still in turmoil to this day.

Final word on this, and I have no license to be the reporter of these historic events or how they affected so many generations of humans, but two points: Haters will always find a reason to hate, a rationale for cruelty. And two, little did the enslavers realize 400 years ago that they might have thought of themselves as breaking the will of a people when they actually trained them to be strong, resilient, and indomitable.

Onward to the second day at the capital mall which, I might mention, is dauntingly large! This is evidenced by our step count each day…

This shot was with my back to the Lincoln Memorial facing the Washington Monument. Just for yuks I looked it up on Google maps… 1.2 miles!

So, next on the joy filled walk through history: The Holocaust Museum. Yeah, that’s right, no end to being reminded of the shit we can inflict on each other. Below are some inscriptions that bear noting, especially during this time of political strife. Read ’em and weep people…

Yes, the photos of the camp liberations were horrible but this room hit me hard. Perhaps because it put faces to the souls sacrificed…

Are we having fun yet?!

Ok, let’s go to a much more uplifting building, Air and Space Museum.

Check out the difference between an old 747 cockpit and a new Airbus cockpit…

Crazy difference. My friend Mike Banks, an old air force pilot, once told me about the heel hooks that fighter pilots had to lock their legs in place in case of a “punch out” or ejection from an aircraft. I got to actual see them here.

While I could have spent a week in this place just geeking out, Mrs. T had enough so we moved along…

Just consider a buildings scale where they hang whole aircraft from the ceiling!

I would now add some fascinating pictures from the department of printing and engraving building we toured. You know these folks, they actually print money! Like our fathers said, “What do you think I do, print money?” Well these guy do.

Oh, where are the pictures of 32 note sheets being spit out of 30 foot long printing machines? Well, they informed us in no uncertain terms that not only was there no photography allowed, but if we did we would be arrested. Not have our phone confiscated, not asked to leave, not even asked to give a heartfelt apology. Handcuffs. We all had to turn off our devices. Enough said. BTW, they were running 100’s that particular day which means $3200 TO A SHEET, 2.3MIL TO A BUNDLE!

As you travel through DC you are assaulted with the magnitude of our bureaucracy. The size of the buildings devoted to everything from the Department of Agriculture to the State Department, with hundreds of offices containing thousands of people churning out governmental dreck, just the dreck that keeps us all somewhat safe and somewhat prosperous.

Final observation before we continue the climb up the East Coast, Southern hospitality, a greeting of “How are y’all” and even eye contact is all gone! Perhaps it is self preservation or just the way one gets in the large east coast northern cities, but I for one miss the smiles, the greetings. Meaningless? Possibly, but missed still.

Next stop the city of brotherly love, Philadelphia…