Putting on your Street Face

Yes folks, it is not Latin America, or Texas. There is little laughter in the streets, or smiling at strangers. It is full of young, smart people out to make a buck or an impression on the world. John Kennedy once said, "Washington is a city of Southern efficiency and Northern charm." How wonderfully apt.

But for all the omnipresent stuffiness and worldly manners, there is another side to DC. It is a city of transplants, and it seems everyone has a story and a softer side hidden behind their Metro facade. They are interesting people. They are civilized and generally courteous. People offer to let other people go first, or have their seat. And there is a variety and spiciness to life here. Tonight I was serenaded home by three nine-year old boys and a drunk guy on the subway. People were talking to and smiling at the kids (smiling is allowed sometimes). It almost (almost!) felt like home.

If only everyone in DC were children. They would do a better job of running the world.