Morning Walk, Evening Prayer

From this ...

To this ... 

Metro closures have one silver lining. They push people out onto the streets where they might actually ... walk!

That's what I did this morning, hoofing it from Pentagon City to Crystal City — which is not the metropolis-to-metropolis trek that it sounds like but a mile-long stroll.

It was the best way to start a day, even in this heat and humidity. I plugged in my earbuds and took off. I passed the bustle of Metro, crowds surging on and off of shuttle buses, then turned left on 15th Street, seeking shade wherever I found it.

In my ears, "When at Night I Go to Sleep," also known as "The Evening Prayer" or "Abendsegen" in German, a lovely melody from "Hansel and Gretel" by Engelbert Humperdinck. For some reason I played this melody when I got off Metro a stop earlier in the city and walked from Chinatown to the Law Center. So it has become my go-to walking-to-work piece.

And it is blissful, calming music. Full and rich, perfect for tuning out the world while at the same time plunging into it. I arrived physically wilted but mentally charged. Maybe I'll get off a stop early more often.