Thursday, April 29, 2010

DC Diaries

The last four and a half months has been the most unique time of my life. I spent my last semester in college living in a giant row house with 15 “strangers” a block away from the Supreme Court and literally in the shadow of our Nation’s Capital. I left DC on Monday, and have been reflecting a lot on what that time has meant in my life, how it has already changed me in some ways, and how it will continue to shape my life from here on out. If DC has taught me anything, it’s that reflections are best experienced in conversation with others, so that’s exactly what I plan to do. Over the next few weeks, I hope to share a few vignettes of my experience, revealing more questions I have in lieu of my time in DC rather than answers. Here’s a preview of some of the topics I’ve been dwelling/dreaming about and hope to invite anyone else into:

The Idolatry of our Fathers: What does a city filled with monuments for dead guys say about our culture?

City of Power: It is commonly said what money is to New York, and looks are to LA, power is to DC. You don’t have to live in DC long to realize people don’t come here for good looks, nor to make money. So why does this notion of power (often times disguised as wanting to “make a difference”) draw so many to the nation’s capital?

Men Without Chests: Many will agree that our society’s desire for materialism and comfort in part got us into this financial mess. Our head sees the flaw that our appetite desires yet we refuse to go through the heart to fix it, why?

Somewhere in the Middle: Can a moderate/centrist have an impact in DC without having to choose a side?

“16 Strangers, picked to live in a house…”: How living with 15 other people redefined my notion of community.

Look for the first post to come in the next day or so.

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