Fear and Memories: An Exploration of Washington and American History
“Only one thing we have to fear, and that is fear itself,” are the words spoken by American President Franklin D. Roosevelt in his inaugural address on March 4, 1933, when he took office as President of the United States.
This quote, along with many others, is engraved in the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, located in Washington, D.C. This famous phrase was part of his efforts to reassure the American people during the Great Depression.
The first thing that leaves an impression in official Washington is the documentation of the past through memorials and the honors that not only the people but also Congress pay to the politicians of the past. History does not begin with us but with those who came before us.
The history of Congress is told by a cicada that did not expect to speak; it begins during the war with the British, when the American colonies gathered to organize resistance and declare independence. It concludes with the establishment of a modern democracy and its ongoing challenges, demonstrating that history is a continuous process where each generation contributes to the future of the country.
My smallness refers to Congress, where the telling of history should be more attractive. We are a generation lacking attention for long stories. 😂
The mornings in Washington were rainy (the rain has been a part of me all year ☺️), while the rest of the day was exceptionally hot and humid, which was somewhat uncomfortable for us Europeans. Washington was also very friendly to animals; squirrels and mice were seen everywhere, and cockroaches roamed freely in the city.
Nightlife did not differ much from that in our country. American-style pubs, occasionally open until midnight, mostly closed by 10 PM. Washington, as an administrative city, had a quieter pace, where both waking and sleeping happened earlier.
In Washington, I met my high school friend. Behar and I sat at the same desk and he was my closest friend. A beer to reminisce about our high school days took us back 23 years.
As we continued for another beer with the rest of the group, invited to Washington by the American Congress and nominated by the American embassy in Pristina, the atmosphere was calm and warm.
Although we enjoyed casual conversations, a couple of Americans caught our attention as they debated in the middle of the street. What surprised me was the calmness of the guy, who, despite the situation, remained completely untroubled – a scene both comical and typical of Americans.
After breakfast in Washington, we set off for Kansas. A three-hour flight to our destination, where we will experience American life from within for the next eight days.
P.S. The food in Washington was good. 😜