Thursday, July 28, 2005
10 years later
I have not lived in Washington, D.C., for nearly a decade -- I moved west in the spring of 1996 -- but I still somehow feel connected to that city. Could be that the fun I had, the close friendships I developed and the varied experiences I, um, experienced all combine to drape a rosy glow around all things DC for me...still, now, even after 10 years.
Take for example this week -- I've been having an entertaining e-mail exchange with John Lavey, an old friend and newspaper colleague from the Northern Virginia Sun/Gazette days. I'm going to Houston tomorrow to visit Gene, a college friend with whom I shared many of my best times in Washington. And today I was drawn to an online item in the DC City Paper, a wonderful alternative weekly that doggedly attempts to keep the Post and the Moonie-owned Washington Times honest. I shouldn't really care what the City Paper says about the Post's prudish reporting on a gay-bashing Anacostia preacher, but I still do.
In reading this stuff, I ran across a mention of the 10-year anniversary of the Million Man March, and the memories came flooding back. In October 1995, I was working as the Washington bureau chief (fancy title, but I was basically a reporter) for two financial newsletters: Wall Street Letter (yawn) and Compliance Reporter (double yawn). My office was just a few blocks from the White House, the Mall, etc. (on F St., between 14th and 15th, across from the The Shops at National Place and the National Press Club). When the Million Man March occurred, I walked down to the Mall to check out the crowds, the speeches, the food vendors. I felt vaguely uncomfortable as a white guy in a dress shirt and tie, but that may have been more me than any vibe from the throng.
Wow, fascinating anecdote, huh? March happened, I saw it. I suppose the point is that, I am using this blog to document my past experiences before they are overwhelmed in my brain by the lyrics to Ralph's kid songs or ophthalmology's position on NIH reauthorization or whatever. Case in point: the aforementioned John Lavey swears that he never attended a David Copperfield show with me at the Warner or National Theater in DC. So if it wasn't him, which I think it was, than who was it? Because I know I went...although that's something I probably should forget.
So, in the interest of documenting (or am I just bragging?):
Take for example this week -- I've been having an entertaining e-mail exchange with John Lavey, an old friend and newspaper colleague from the Northern Virginia Sun/Gazette days. I'm going to Houston tomorrow to visit Gene, a college friend with whom I shared many of my best times in Washington. And today I was drawn to an online item in the DC City Paper, a wonderful alternative weekly that doggedly attempts to keep the Post and the Moonie-owned Washington Times honest. I shouldn't really care what the City Paper says about the Post's prudish reporting on a gay-bashing Anacostia preacher, but I still do.
In reading this stuff, I ran across a mention of the 10-year anniversary of the Million Man March, and the memories came flooding back. In October 1995, I was working as the Washington bureau chief (fancy title, but I was basically a reporter) for two financial newsletters: Wall Street Letter (yawn) and Compliance Reporter (double yawn). My office was just a few blocks from the White House, the Mall, etc. (on F St., between 14th and 15th, across from the The Shops at National Place and the National Press Club). When the Million Man March occurred, I walked down to the Mall to check out the crowds, the speeches, the food vendors. I felt vaguely uncomfortable as a white guy in a dress shirt and tie, but that may have been more me than any vibe from the throng.
Wow, fascinating anecdote, huh? March happened, I saw it. I suppose the point is that, I am using this blog to document my past experiences before they are overwhelmed in my brain by the lyrics to Ralph's kid songs or ophthalmology's position on NIH reauthorization or whatever. Case in point: the aforementioned John Lavey swears that he never attended a David Copperfield show with me at the Warner or National Theater in DC. So if it wasn't him, which I think it was, than who was it? Because I know I went...although that's something I probably should forget.
So, in the interest of documenting (or am I just bragging?):
- I covered a press conference in the Rose Garden and the Christmas tree lighting ceremony with the Clintons.
- I had a Congressional press pass for a while.
- I covered oral arguments before the Supreme Court (a Hawaii case?).
- I carried around my National Press Club ID card in my wallet for a long time, for completely ego-related reasons. "Oh, what's this is in my wallet -- my Press Club card. I forgot that was in there. Yeah, I belonged blah blah blah." This scenario never happened, by the way.
- Jay Dickey, a former Arkansas congressman, was nice but a gigantic idiot. I had lunch with him once in the House members' dining room.
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P.S. While I've managed to avoid too much crappy TV watching since Sunday...it's just kind of boring knocking around the domicile by myself. I miss Nicola and Lindsay! Reunion set for Monday at the Oakland airport. And check out the ladies in the pool -- love that Elmer Fudd hat!
Back with more next week, after my Houston trip.
// posted by Bill @ 8:44 AM 
