Anna West
What event thus far encapsulates the Washington experience?
By Anna West
Spring 2014
Politics are replete with high-octane, action verbs. You don’t submit a vote; rather you cast one, as if you were fishing on the high seas. You don’t just ring doorbells and post billboard ads; you campaign by waging political war against your opponent. And you certainly don’t walk for office, you run for it.
But in D.C. it’s evident that running takes on a literal meaning aside from the political realm. During lunch breaks, politicians actually run up and down Pennsylvania Ave. I see them bounce in place at streetlights, puffs of vapor escaping their breath in what has been the longest winter of subsequent polar vortexes. They battle relentlessly with the cold – gloves, hats and scarves, the fabrics of their armor.
Maura and I outside the ultimate Washington landmark.
Even in the popular Netflix series House of Cards we see the Congressman’s wife, Claire Underwood (Robin Wright), run through the streets of D.C. under the cover of darkness. In one scene, the night highlights her silhouette as the Congressman gains speed behind her, perhaps a metaphor for his advancing political power. Yet with her ear-buds in, Claire makes us wonder both what she’s tuning into and what noises she’s drowning out. Inspired, I shook off my post-Netflix binge laziness and picked a route close to home. I ran through Woodley Park residential streets past brownstone manors to Embassy Row where I passed Britain, Bolivia and Brazil before becoming engulfed in a brunch crowd.
Is it D.C. that makes a runner or is it the Washingtonian personality that lends itself to becoming a trailblazer? I wondered as I crossed state-lines into Virginia on the metro with little fanfare. For our weekly Friday excursion I was headed to the DEA headquarters, my ever-fanciful mind imagining a scenario from Breaking Bad. We were escorted through airport-like security to a hallway featuring a small exhibition on the history of the agency. One picture featured the notorious Columbian drug lord Pablo Escobar’s gunshot ridden body sprawled out on a rooftop.
Special agent Andre (undercover identity) greeted us, flashing pearly-whites and the glock strapped to his ankle. In a pinstripe fitted suit, he exuded confidence and swagger. A self-proclaimed action man, Andre told us about how growing up on the streets of D.C. lent itself to being stationed in a task force specializing in the cocaine trade in the Bolivian Amazon forest. And because we were a mature audience, he told us about one perk of being an agent – the fine hunnies. At the end of our information session, I asked if Andre had ever watched Breaking Bad. He chuckled and said that someone always asked that question, but he still hadn’t watched the show. With that he bid us goodbye, leaving us begrudgingly for his paperwork.
Special Agent “Andre” talking to us.
No single event thus far has encapsulated a Washingtonian life because in D.C. the only difference is that life occurs in the midst of omnipresent federal agencies and politico lingo. Rather the two events that day demonstrated the human experience – the challenge of balancing work life and play, and the pursuit of productivity and happiness. It is on TV where unbalanced characters like Frank Underwood dwell, their environment consuming life and happiness. From their example, we are advised restore balance to our own.
Rock Creek Park- where everyone goes to run.
