With the hate-for-hate divisions of politics these days, many of us sit in our mental bunkers, breeding disgust and cynicism. Locked inside, we marinate in our beliefs that we're right and the other side is wrong, that there is no common ground and the system is broken beyond repair. Why even try?
But you might see things differently after a trip to Washington, D.C.
Shawn RyanI visited the capital earlier this week for a conference. I had time to make a circuit of the National Mall. Without staring through rose-colored glasses and not to get too sappy, I found myself inspired and somewhat hopeful. Yeah, it shocked the heck of out me, too.
Journalists tend to be among the first to find their skins hardened and their beliefs turning to concrete. We see the best of humanity; we also see the worst. At times, the worst overwhelms the best. Carnage seems to attract more attention than grace.
But visiting the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, the National World War II Memorial and the White House makes you pause for reflection. People from all countries, all ethnicities, all beliefs flock to these structures, taking photos, just looking. It seems people from outside the United States believe in our uniqueness and find us more inspirational than we do.
Whatever your thoughts on whatever president is living there at any given time, the White House itself is beautiful. The massive history of the place is impossible to deny. Every president since John Adams in 1800 has lived there, an amazing lineage.
Try not to feel something well up inside when you look at the statues of Lincoln and Jefferson in their memorials. Try not to feel some sense of pride when you read their words carved into the memorials' walls. Try not to be impressed with the sheer size of the statue of Lincoln or the regality of the statue of Jefferson.
The Washington Monument can be seen from almost everywhere around the National Mall. Strength and solidity radiate from it.
Yes, cynicism runs deep within many of us, especially when it comes to politics. It's a well-deserved feeling. But Washington, D.C., can remind you that we're a nation of remarkable accomplishments and a rock-solid (mostly) belief in the strength of our institutions.
It may be hard to maintain that feeling when you're back in the day-to-day grind watching the parade of never-ending, debilitating news. But it's worth the effort.
Contact Shawn Ryan at mshawnryan@gmail.com.