Labor Day in Washington

Kids and I got enjoy a few hours in Washington before heading home today, and for me, it was like coming full circle. After we got up and moving (and everything out of the room), we took the Metro to the Capitol to give them a chance to see the inside of the building, and to hopefully make some memories like mine of that first tour.

The tour did not disappoint. We got to see a great deal of the Capitol (far more than I originally thought as we were going down into the new visitors center). After a 15 minute propaganda movie on the importance of the legislative branch, we had a great tour guide whose accent was very distinctly North Carolina. I guessed eastern, Mary Kathryn guessed western -- and she was right. In fact, he once served in the North Carolina Senate, back when I was eight, and was elected from Morganton to represent Avery County. It was really funny how the chance of that actually worked out.

But by the time we'd had the tour (and he revealed the flaw in the construction of the original House chamber -- something I remembered from my first tour 1,000 years ag0), we were all exhausted. By the time we got a wee bit (more) shopping done and back to the hotel, we pooped and then I had to drive home. I tried, and tried, to get Mary Kathryn to drive some but she was worried that some officer might have a problem with it. She's so responsible!

By the time we got home, and settled, we all floated to our space to let our time together to air out a bit and let us enjoy our privacy and own quiet in a way that made us savor that time so much more than we might have otherwise done.

Of course one of my favorite stories happened on the Metro ride back to the hotel. We were sitting there and this gentleman was sitting across from me. He turned and asked someone behind me if he'd like to buy some socks. That he sold socks and had great ones, for a good price. Having quickly been turned down by Target No. 1, I felt his gaze turn toward me. "How about you? You interested in some socks?" I paused for a minute, having prayed this question would come. "Nope. I don't wear socks. It's one of the tenets of my religion."

With no easy comeback to that, and no other potential customers around, he quickly realized that his stop had come, and need to make a hasty departure. I just smiled, and enjoyed the scene for just a minute before our stop had arrived. It was time to go home.

I close tonight with this little gem, which came to me unexpectedly. This morning, a friend of mine on FB, via status message, wondered: "Why we do New Year resolutions rather than Labor Day resolutions? It always feels like the beginning of something new."

I found that to be an excellent question. Our lives truly do revolve around the school year, even when are not in school. Piano and guitar lessons, soccer and fencing, homework, new goals, new objectives. In the work year, September is the beginning of the busy season (and is already turning out to be that way for me -- I think I have about five days home between now and the 20th...) and summer's ending brings a new start to our lives.

Now to think of resolutions to both speak and live up to... I am tired.