Arlington Cemetery

I sat on the white, marble steps of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers and watched a soldier in uniform walk with astonishing uniformity across the worn platform that had seemingly been marched on in that precise manner endlessly—certain tranquility descended upon me. The enforced silence was punctuated only by the soldier’s salutes during his march, paying tribute to great men who had given their lives in serving their country and contributing to history. 320,000 marble tombstones lay around, equidistant and consistent, marking the passage of time and the passing of people. What an overwhelming feeling, what a definite scene to show that the clocks are always ticking and we move inevitably with it. This is what is there: JFK buried, a torch burning in the wind, stately stones marking famous Supreme Court justices, unknown soldiers buried marked with rank, known soldiers, history makers, movers and shakers. The honesty of the scene and the soldier’s code stood out in stark contrast with the petty politics, rule bending and power ploys of Washington. I didn’t know what to think when I saw the powerful decision makers buried with the people who pledged a code and so, were sent to war.