The cold has been so harsh that the skin on our cheeks can really hurt, and for the inauguration and the concert we will be out side in the cold for many hours. Union Station is alive with much activity this morning. We had been here briefly last nite and it was still relatively quiet, but today there is lots of motion, lots of suitcases. We actually find a type of scarf/hat and since they are 1/2 price I buy one for Carol and myself and am ready to test it out. Beth and I find a wifi bakery/coffee shop and I now sit down with coffee and my laptop to do a couple pages of the blog. Can not do photos but will add when I can.
I take the Metro and meet up with Kara at her friend's in the Catholic University area and she and I go off to the Mall as she has never seen the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial. It is down near the Lincoln Memorial so it will be a good test of walking in the cold, staying in the cold and just seeing how well the new scarf/hat protects the skin on my cheeks. The Mall is much more crowded than it was on Thursday when Carol and I were last here. Lots of groups of people all taking photos all looking cold but very happy. The wind is blowing the flags around the Washington Monument the air is fairly clear although there are some high clouds. As we get near the WWII memorial we can see some of the jumbotrons down towards the Lincoln Memorial. As we get closer we see plenty of workers setting up speakers, screens and finally we can hear some music. James Taylor....
but it becomes clear that it is just testing the speakers. Finally we are close enough to see that there are some folks up on the stairs of the Lincoln Memorial and much activity. We can not see any musicians so we slide over to the Vietnam Vets Memorial. Beautifully simple memorial that slopes downhill as the black granite panels increase in height each etched with the names of those who died or are considered missing in action. The number of names increases as you go slowly down towards the lowest point which has the tallest panels and then you walk up the other side which makes a right angle when you reach the lowest point.
It is a very respectful place, a place that reminds you how slowly we got entangled in Vietnam and yet how totally it impacted this country in every way. (photo) I am reminded how Maya Lin, the 21 year old Yale student who designed and then was selected to build this beautiful memorial to our nightmare of an undeclared war, was treated by Congress while she stayed true to her vision. Sometimes America just does not know how to treat people, places, countries, itself. We then walk back on the other side of the Lincoln Memorial so that we can check exit strategies for the Sunday concert... and as we come up to the fencing we notice a number of people (maybe 20-30) along the barrier. The stage is filled with a choir/chorus now and there is much activity. All of a sudden I notice on the entry ramp from the left, BRUCE Springsteen walking up towards the stage. Quickly all the people around me also notice him and Kara and I try to contain our excitement. It is still quite cold but he seems to have no gloves on , no hat for sure, and you just wonder how he and the other muscians will play their instruments. We stay for quite some time as he and the chorus sing "The Rising" a few times. The HBO folks are streaming to the jumbotrons and the speakers are working just fine. I call Jaime but she is not really answering her phone... I text her later then finally get her. We are now surrounded by people (40-60) along a 20 foot length of barrier no more than 3 deep and are listening to Bruce in his rehearsal. AWESOME. We stay here for close to an hour and realize that other than Kara's toes and both of our fingers, we are not so cold. Again it has only been about an hour and tomorrow will be much longer AND there will be hoards of people.... we are hoping for an increase in temperature for tomorrow... but this is just divine and part of the serendipity that I had hoped for in coming to Washington DC for this special, historic occasion. We decide that we should probably be moving along if we are to get back to Anna's house for dinner at 6 but then out comes someone else with a banjo (and an orange jacket) We watch and finally realize it is Pete Seeger. Yes, this is one of the reasons I am here, for the unexpected happenings the surprises that can happen when you are in a special place at a very special time. We watch Pete and Bruce talking to one another as they await directions to sing as we slowly leave the area.
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