Out of place and stuck in time

It's not exactly tourist season in Washington DC, but as always there were plenty tour groups walking around DC today. The thing that was funny to me though was how underdressed I felt walking around in my jeans and coat, because even the tourists were wearing ties (I do have mine packed so I guess I will be prepared if I go into DC again, but that's not why I'm here). I am always struck by the monumental (literally) sense of history that exists in DC. I have been to much older places in the world, but in places like Rome and Paris the cities have such a different feel as though their history is a part of them and it's still alive but in DC it can feel awkward like the whole place is a museum. At the same time though it's also where the governance is suppose to be getting done and the real history that exists here is more recent. People come here and I think they can get stuck in the atmosphere of these pristine white marble temples/government buildings and like most museums there is this feeling that you shouldn't really touch anything. To be fair though, a lot of the buildings actually are museums and they are pretty incredible and more inviting than the government buildings. At the Supreme Court building they have this huge wide staircase that when deserted is pretty imposing and uninviting (which is kind of the point of the design as a larger than life entry portal for the "Temple of Justice" based on the ancient temples of Grease and Rome). I suppose it could be just that there weren't tourists wondering around in shorts and tank tops all over the place and the snow does have it's own effect, but whatever it was, it felt different than on previous visits.

Despite the feeling that it was there to look at and take pictures of and not to actually go into I decided to cross the expanse and enter the halls of justice. The court room is really not that big considering how big the things that happen there are. The most interesting feature in the room is the frieze that borders the walls near the ceiling. Acknowledging the great law givers in history, the frieze features the characters of Hammurabi, Moses, Confucius, Muhammad (yes I realize the problem with depicting him, but the respect for what he brought to the world in terms of law and justice has to count for something), Charlemagne and Napoleon amongst others. You have to appreciate the way it gives the proper due to these important figures from every corner of the globe. For any seeker of justice this is a special place dedicated to interpreting law and establishing a precedent for justice with far reaching ramifications.

Ultimately DC and the neighborhoods that surround it are an amazing place to be. Even on a cold day when the buildings look even colder and the formality of dress seems a bit oppressive, you know that there is life and you can sense that things are always happening here. There are people and cultures represented from all over the world. You can find any kind of food, art, clothing and whatever else from any place you can think of. There is a museum seemingly for almost anything from Air and Space to Modern Art to the Spy Museum (where you can test yourself to see if you would be a good spy) to Asian, African, European, Native American and plenty of other kinds of art. My last stop on this very brief visit to DC was of course the Methodist Building which sits right next to the Supreme Court and is the only non-governmental building on Capital Hill. If you stop in you can probably get a tour including the chapel where Martin Luther King Jr., Desmond Tutu, and others have preached, where many have worshiped where some landmark celebrations have taken place (you can find some of the history at: http://www.umc-gbcs.org/site/c.frLJK2PKLqF/b.3791391/). I look forward to every chance I have to be in this place.