Life and the pace of living changes when you walk through most of your day. We walked from the airport, each tugging their suitcase along. We made our way through the Metro stations along with the mid afternoon commuters. A few soldiers got on the train and exited at the Pentagon, They looked serious and impressive. There were business men in elegant suits and expensive shoes, their jackets fashionable with the slim cut and single button that fill the advertisements in the men’s magazines. We rode the escalator to the ground level at Du Pont Circle and the words of Walt Whitman caught Cameron’s attention. We then walked all the way back to Lafayette Square, essentially by accident. We saw the Renwick exhibit and their museum gift shop. We walked along the gate of the White House like the broadcast journalists. We watched the fat squirrels in the square and read the plaques on the trees.
Walking means we read and we talk. We look at buildings and people. We make an impulsive stop for fresh and hot Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Walking makes us tired and sleep will come easy. Walking means we become part of the world, forced to navigate the crowd. We each stumbled on sidewalk cracks and jay walked. We sat on city benches. We watched people doing their jobs. Walking connects us to the world.