If you’ve been following my life to any sort of degree,
you’ll notice that all I do on facebook is post beautifully tweaked pictures to
instagram. And if you’ve been following those, you’ll know that for the past
month and a half, I have been living in Washington, DC.
Jumping right in, it’s pretty much my favorite place on this
planet. And since this planet is currently the only one I can live on, DC
pretty much beats out all other places on my ‘favorites’ list. It’s everything
I could ever want in a city: history, politics, places to eat, places to shop
(lol, like I have money to shop), and wonderful people.
I’m writing this post on the steps of the Jefferson Monument.
It’s pretty cool, but I think the Lincoln Monument is still my favorite. That
being said, the Jefferson is pretty cool because it’s right on the Potomac.
Like, I could walk across the platform in front of me and dive in if I wanted.
No one would even stop me. Here’s a pic of my current view:
It’s pretty spiffy. The river is kind of gross, though. In
the right light, I could lie to myself and say it’s green like some of the
rivers back home. But then I would go to hell for lying. So far, the river is
the grossest thing here. But if you’re not close to it, it adds a nice effect
to the whole scene. It reminds me of home.
To be fair, though, I can’t even compare home to DC.
Sandpoint has a whopping population of 10,000 people if I include its suburbs.
Washington, DC, has 646,449 just in the district alone (according to Wikipedia;
take that as you will). That’s a LOT of Sandpoints. I could go the whole time
I’m here and not see the same person twice on my way to work. That could NEVER
happen back home.
I absolutely love it. So many people…there is so much life
here! There is so much going on! And everyone has a different opinion. It is
such a wonderful break from Provo, where everyone overlaps on opinions that are
very close to the same. That was an overgeneralization, I know; please forgive
me. But it often feels that way as I walk the halls at BYU. I often feel like
I’m just so different that I can never fit in.
But here in DC, I fit in because I’m different. Different
has become the norm, and I love it. I’ve found out that I am far more liberal
in my politics than I ever thought I was. And that’s okay. Just because I’m a
Mormon doesn’t mean that I have to be a conservative political figure. I work
for a guy that is a Democrat and a Mormon, and I’m pretty sure he’s not going
to hell. That’s just a hunch, though, based on my few interactions with him.
So if DC has taught me anything so far, it’s that I’m
different than a lot of people. I’m different than the majority of people at
BYU. But DC has also taught me that this is okay. It’s starting to teach me
that I’m not going to be the same as other people, and that their opinions
really shouldn’t have any sort of traction on how I feel about myself. My
opinion of myself is the only one that matters (apart from how God views me).
And so, I’m learning how to be okay with my difference. I’m learning how to
value myself for what I bring to the table. And being able to see what I bring
to the table allows me to change the things that maybe aren’t so great (I’m looking
at you, eternal cynicism).
So, come to DC if you feel different. Come to DC if you
don’t. It’s pretty great either way. And if you come while I’m here, I can give
you a pretty sweet tour of the Capitol, if I’m allowed to brag (SPOILER ALERT:
I am).
More unfiltered pics. If you like filters, then check
facebook or my instagram (@lukeiamyourfoster).
-Luke
