A Stroll Through the City

He stepped out of the metro into the bright sunlight. He squinted and brought his hand to his brow to shield his eyes from the light. Once adjusted he looked to his left and right to determine which side of Connecticut he had emerged. "Dupont is up the road," he thought to himself turning to watch traffic zip up the busy street. He turned around and began walking away from Dupont.

A couple of girls looking uncomfortable in their business casual clothing walked past him seemingly talking about someone from work. He looked at his watch, it was 9:45 am. Why weren't they at work? "Then again," he thought. "They may have thought the same thing about me." He grinned. He felt contentment and satisfaction in his stomach.

He continued down Connecticut looking at the buildings of the city and trying to block out the constant hum of traffic. He reached Farragut Square and opted to walked through the center of the square instead of around it as he had done on most other occasions. This time he was paying attention to the look and feel of the little area. A couple couriers were sitting on a bench together enjoying coffee and tales of the previous night. Their bikes lay in the grass next to them. He took note of the litter that he had never noticed before.

He continued through the square to cross the road to continue down 17th street. He looked up at the sun through the branches of the hibernating city trees and watched his breath in the cool air. In front of him he could see the gray streets being replaced by the open space of the Mall. He looked around and took pleasure in the well manicured yet dry lawns. The hum of the city was still around him, but now that he wasn't completely surrounded by buildings he noticed the city less and less.

He shuffled across Constitution and stepped into the Mall. He looked over at the Obelisk that is the Washington monument. Several tourists passed by, camera bags hanging around their necks. Walking away from the monument he walked by the barricades that in his opinion had changed the area completely. Crossing the road the trees before him opened up to WWII memorial. More tourists walked along beside him and passed him. Some had maps, others were looking all around them not particularly paying attention to where they were walking. "I was once a tourist." He thought about this statement, "I'll always be a tourist." The glow he felt in his stomach diminished and his insides felt suddenly heavy. He looked up at the sun and felt the warmth on his face. He grinned and the glow returned.

He soon reached the Reflecting Pool. Businessmen and tourists were walking up and down the trails around the shimmering water. He walked along the pool and watched the water move and reflect the light around. The glow in his stomach was sinking. He looked up at the sun once again as he lay back into the cold water. The cold enveloped him immediately and his skin reacted. He looked up at the sun and laughed to himself.