Witness to History
Living near Washington, DC allows for some convenient opportunities to witness historic events. This is certainly true this week so Wednesday afternoon I went downtown to witness the events surrounding the funeral of President Reagan.

First, I witnessed the procession along Constitution Avenue. The precision of the military units was impressive and the cadence of the drums was especially stirring. The flag draped coffin on the caisson was followed by the riderless horse which carried what I later learned were Mr. Reagan's own boots. After the procession passed my location and I started moving toward the Capitol, the formation flyover of 21 F15E fighter jets was awe-inspiring.

I made my way to the 'overflow' area, where the line was forming to pay respects in the Capitol Rotunda. Despite a four-and-a-half hour wait in line and a twenty five dollar cab fare back to Greenbelt to pick up my car (the Metro subway system having turned into a pumpkin at midnight), it was a powerful moment to pray and pay my respects as I passed through the Rotunda a few miutes before midnight. It was a rewarding and inspiring experience that I'm glad I did not miss. The mood among the people seemed to be one of deep respect yet celebration of Ronald Reagan's life.