Where we live, spring is my favorite time of the year. New buds bring color to the landscape and signal a new beginning. My wife likes to see the cherry blossoms in Washington, DC, when they are at their peak. The bloom is earlier this year than most years, due to the warmer than typical weather this winter in the Nation’s Capital. We only live a few miles away. Even though we are in the midst of a pandemic (the scariest one I can remember) we were hoping to make a quick trip, while maintaining our social distance from the other sightseers. If it happened that when we arrived, it was too crowded, we would just do a drive-by visit and see what we could see from our car. It seemed like a good idea. If luck was on our side, it would be a way to get some exercise and enjoy life a little. Alas, we were not the only ones that had the idea. When we arrived it looked like finding a parking space was going to be a challenge, but we had a little good luck and got one along the Potomac River. We would have our walk and get a break from the news and our worries for family, friends, and the future.
It had rained earlier in the day, but the sun came out and apparently the weather was good enough for paddleboarding; judging by the cheerful family we saw doing it on the river. I was also not expecting the paddle boat concession to be open on the tidal basin, but it was and people were enjoying that too; though not in the numbers that would be typical on a warm sunny day during the bloom. People seemed to be on their best behavior enjoying the moment and trying hard not to encroach on the space of others. I took some pictures, which you can see by clicking here.
Stay well and let’s look forward to a time when social distancing is a thing of the past…Something we learned to do to get through this health crisis, but not something that will always be necessary. What you might have guessed if you have read many of my posts is that normally I enjoy breaking down barriers that keep people separated. Narrowing the gap that keeps people from communicating, especially talking to others eye-to-eye, with an emphasis on listening, is what I try to do as I try to see it all. Don’t get me wrong, I prefer solitude to big crowds, but I never like feeling isolated with no hope of sharing ideas with others. The teacher in me has always liked getting people to metacognate, to think about thinking and explore why we think what we do. We may be the only creatures on the planet capable of this kind of exploration.