Anyone that knows me knows that I took the pandemic and the recommendations of Dr Faucci and his guidance’s pretty seriously.
So how did I jump from self-isolation, to publically protesting with thousands, maybe tens of thousands of people during a pandemic?
I know some of my friends are not readers, so if you would like to skip to the video, click the link below.
When I saw peaceful law-abiding people being tear-gassed for a photo opportunity, and this current president saying that he was declaring war on peaceful protesters calling them anarchist and lowlifes, something made me say “ENOUGH”.
For the rest of that week, every time I would watch the news I felt more and more a need to participate somehow. I started to contemplate joining the very small protest that would probably happen in my town, Reading, Pennsylvania, I was sure that Philadelphia would have something, BUT where I felt I needed to be, was in Washington, that’s were the president had just declared war against peaceful rallies.
“My goal here is not to sway you one way or the other, but more to accurately portray the day.”
The week prior I kept thinking, maybe, I should go peacefully protest. I’ve silently agreed with a protest but have never participated in one. As Saturday approached, I kept wavering. I should go? Maybe it’s not a good idea? I should ask a friend to go? I should go alone? I really struggled. I wanted to tell friends, but at the same time, I didn’t want to commit, just in case I backed out. I also didn’t really know what to expect. After all, the peaceful demonstration earlier in the week was met with tear gas and violence initiated by the current president. I was not raised to speak out against my government, but the current president is not a leader in any sense. I describe him more like a pied piper, promising everything if you follow, but delivering nothing as you sink deeper into despair.
I set and alarm for Saturday morning I was up at 6:30. I was still not 100% sure I was going, but started to pack a backpack. What do you need when you are packing for a protest during a pandemic? Most important question, where will I go to the bathroom? After all everything is still closed. So my backpack contained, two bottles of water, enough protein bars for 2 days, just in case. I threw in an umbrella hand sanitizer and an extra mask. I packed a second backpack that had my camera. I guess I’m really going to do this. Truck is packed and gassed, should I really do this? I have no plan. I’m going. Here I go!
I know the general direction of DC, but only driven there once, a long time ago. I punched in Washington, DC in my iPhone. It gave general directions but I was nervous where it would dump me. As far as I knew there was no organized protest, I was basically driving down blindly. I knew the protesters and news media were attacked in front of the White House so if there were protest, today, my thought is, that’s where they will be. The only address I know in Washington is 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Popped that into the phone, and off I went. Its funny, just moments into my trip, I started thinking of those crazy people that you hear about on the news. They have a mental break and drive to the White House and jump the fence, and are quickly confronted and arrested. My mind flashed to me arriving in Washington and being greeted my Secret Service. Good Lord, this is crazy. I was definitely rethinking and regretting, the use of that specific address. Being directionally challenged, GPS has made me fearless, as an explorer. I’ve done unplanned road trips ever since the release of MAPQuest 1.0. Unplanned road trips are usually so much fun.
DC is not a short drive from Reading, in fact it’s about 2.5 hours. What made the trip pleasurable was the fact that I bought a new truck.I bought my new truck, in February, probably 2 weeks before the shutdown. This was officially my first road trip with the new truck other then the drive home from the dealership. I got a great deal, and purchased the truck from a dealer in Maryland, and what I was realizing, as I saw the road signs, was that the dealership was on way, Glenn Bernie, Maryland. I had no idea when I bought the truck that I was that close to DC. As I drove I had a lot of time to think about what to do when I got to my destination. If I couldn’t find the protest I would walk around as a tourist. I haven’t been to the historic landmarks in DC since I was a senior in high school. On that trip, I was sick with what I found out was mononucleosis, so I don’t remember a lot about the landmark visits. I did find the drive somewhat eerie. My memory of traffic around DC was vivid; It is HEAVY and AGGRESSIVE and CHAOTIC. Today was completely different. Traffic was light even as I got closer it was amazingly light. One benefit of a global pandemic, light traffic all the way.
I knew I was getting closer. GPS showed that I was about 7 minutes away. I started to wonder where I would park and reminded myself that I needed to somehow document where I parked. When I was younger, I would be so excited to arrive at my destination, I would forget to memorialize where I parked. I would realize, later in the day, that I had no idea where my car was. I once spent half a day searching for my rental car on the streets of San Juan , Puerto Rico. I definitely needed to remember to drop a pin, wherever I parked my car. I would also need to conserve enough battery to be able to retrieve the location later. Also a lesson I learned the hard way.
I think I was about 3 minutes away from my destination when I hit my first roadblock, literally. The National Guard blocked the street and I was forced to turn left or right but forward was no longer an option. I chose right, and soon realized that my current route was blocked at every turn. Time for a plan B, ok, more like, time to think of, a plan B.
So If I were a protester…where would I go? The Washington Monument came to mind. Again, if there was no protest, I could always explore with my camera. I quickly realized this was also a bust. All roads to the monument were closed, blocked by Police. Crap, now what? The Lincoln Memorial! That was one of the highlights on my senior trip. Again, it would be cool to photograph if nothing was going on, so that’s how I would spend my day.
As I approach what I thought was, the Lincoln Memorial I saw people… and then more people…and then people with signs. Holly crap, there are people. People protesting! Again, with my trusty phone I tapped “find parking”. My phone instantly reprogrammed and stared directing me. As I started driving over a bridge, I soon realized that my phone was directing me far away from the Lincoln Memorial. I cross the bridge and double back. I tossed my phone on the seat and decided to override it. I’m just going to rely on my surroundings. When in doubt follow the people with signs. I made a turn and right in front of me is the Lincoln Memorial and protesters. Ten of them… then 20 more… and more. Wherever I am, this is where I want to be! I don’t know why but whenever, I’m in doubt or lost, I turn right. It’s not a good idea and never works out in my favor, but today, it did. In front of me was another bridge but this bridge had cars parking on both sides. WOW, free parking right next to what I think is the monument, how lucky could I be? I donned my mask, which is actually a double mask. It’s a well-used N95 mask with a buff type mask over top that snuggly held the well used mask. I grabbed my backpack and just my camera.
As I left the comfort of my truck I realized that parking was not free. There was a kiosk to purchase a card to display in your window for several hours of parking. I instantly had a vision of returning to find that my truck had been towed and me being stuck in DC in the middle of a pandemic. I paid for the MAX-time and put the ticket in my window. Slathered myself with had sanitizer, and reset. As I walked away I notice that none of the cars had a tickets in their windows and wondered if they didn’t see the kiosk or just ignored it. Maybe the meter checkers were not working due to everything being shut down. I was glad I was covered either way and was on my way.
I’m off to join the others, but wait 5 hours from now, how am I going to find my truck? I look for street signs and there are none. A woman is approaching and I ask her if she is from the area?
She says “yes”
I ask her if she knows the name of the street, that I just parked here and don’t want to lose my truck. She asked me if I was here for the protest/rally, and asked now many I had been too? I told her that this was my first. This was her 17th. She didn’t know the street name, but pointed out that the building that we were standing near, was in fact, the Lincoln Memorial, and that if I used that as a reference point I couldn’t get lost. I didn’t recognize the memorial from this angle and I didn’t remember the statues of Army soldiers around the top. I realized, as I got closer, they were not statues. They military presence was heavy. I felt an odd sense. I completely support the military and felt that they were unfairly placed in the middle of, Americans vs. president. The crowd of protesters were gathering right in from of the memorial maybe that’s why the National Guard presence was so heavy.
Holly Crap there was a lot of people. I don’t know what I was expecting, but knew I was exactly where I was supposed to be. I pulled out my camera and started clicking. People just kept coming. There was someone with a bullhorn, but the crowd was getting so large that the person with the bullhorn was quickly almost muted.
It was right around noon, when the walk started. I had no idea where we were going, but after capturing the moment on camera, I join in. No idea where we were going, but going with a purpose. As the chanting began, I was overcome for a moment. The realization, of what I was apart of just overwhelmed me. Tears streamed down my face. I was embarrassed at my sudden loss of my emotional control, but at the same time proud of my courage. I was glad that we were all walking in the same direction and no one could notice my watering eyes. People as far as I could see in front of me, and as far as I could see behind me. I didn’t wipe my eyes; I was more worried about the virus infection, then my masculinity being challenged. The walk started on the right side of the street but within a 2-block span, it quickly overtook the width of the street and sidewalks. I was more towards the front of the procession and could hear the police chatter as we made each turn. If there was a set course for the walk, they were unaware of it. There were military on corners, rooftops as well as drones and helicopters overhead. I never felt unsafe or threatened, but certainly observed from ever angle.
The crowd was a mix of everyone. It hard to accurately say, but it was a mixture of every walk-of-life. The good thing was 95% of the people wearing masks. If I found myself walking near someone that wasn’t masked, I did move away from him or her. This is after all the mist of a contagious epidemic. As I was walking I new that I would probably contract Covid. In this moment, at this march, it was worth that risk.
Part of my apprehension about the march was that it might turn violent. That’s not what I’m about, and I can tell you I saw no violence. I saw just the opposite. The National Guard was ever present. I saw more military then police. I felt bad for them. The military seem to be thrust into the middle. I spoke to a couple of Guardsman through the fence and realized that they were there because they were ordered to do so, not necessarily because they agreed with the reasoning. The Guardsman I spoke to said that he wish he could join the protest but could not. Another guardsman was passing out water to protesters. It had quickly heated up to around 90 degrees and humid.
I thought I was well prepared, but walking that day I realized that the best-laid plans don’t always work out. My double mask, although effective, was HOT, and became extremely difficult to breathe through. I had packed water and food, but realized that in order to consume anything, I’d have to remove my mask. I then contemplated risk versus reward. Needless to say, I didn’t not touch or remove my mask for the entire event. No food no water and luckily that also meant no need for a restroom. Thinking back, I touched nothing except my phone and my camera until I returned to my truck.
I stayed that the endpoint for a few hours, snapping pictures and taking in the event. I made note that this president finally got his WALL, however, the wall was around himself, isolating him from the real world’s realities.
I thought maybe the rally would eventually lead us back to where we started. I had followed the walk as it twisted and turned through the streets but made no mental note of backtracking. I could see the Washington Monument across town, but had no idea how to get back. My trustily iPhone again saved me, a self proclaimed, directionally challenged. I followed my turn-by-turn guide and realized that I was walking the exact way we came. How did I know? Well because people were still coming. The crowd walking was less then the initial group, but they just kept coming, and coming. I think that impressed me most. I wasn’t the only one that felt the call. We were all drawn here to peacefully express that “We are not ok with this” and today was our day. I have no idea how large the crowd was, but I know there were THOUSANDS!!!!!! All the way back to the Lincoln Memorial.
I left late that afternoon for my journey home. I was immediately faced with roadblocks. As I approached 695 the police were closing the entrance ramp. I instantly thought their must have been an accident. My phone recalculated and the next opportunity to enter 695 was also met by a road closure. Traffic start to snarl very quickly and I was at a standstill. I found it odd that every entrance was suddenly closing and wondered how much worse this would be if the city wasn’t in the middle of a shutdown. I realized that there might not have been an accident at all. Protester may have spilled onto 695 and it was shut down as a precaution. I never did find the answer, but it did take and hour to finally leave Washington DC city limits. The return trip was quiet as I reflected on the day and wondered to myself if Covid was lurking on my clothing?
Once returning home, I decontaminated. Clothes went directly in the wash and I jumped into the shower to scrub. I was now going to be self-isolating for the next 14 days with my fingers crossed.
I was riveted to CNN that night. I was now watching news that I was a part of. Black Lives Matter had grown. It wasn’t just Washington DC. The protest grew and rallies popped up nationwide even in rural America, small groups gathered to voice the need for change. The protest expanded beyond our boarders. People were joining in London, Germany, Japan! Our allies globally were behind us. THAT gave me the chills…#BlackLivesMAtter was not longer American movement, it was now GLOBAL!
Its funny how the mind works. I went to the rally of my own accord. I felt I had to be a part of it. Once returning home, reality faces you head on. My chances of Covid exposure are now exponentially high. Now my mind starts to taunt me. Within a few hours of being home I had a headache, and I think maybe a sore throat. Is it my mind playing tricks on me or am I already starting to exhibit signs of the infection. I went to bed pondering the consequences of my day. I restlessly slept facing the possibilities.
The next day I felt better but worried each time I sneezed or cleared my throat. I dismissed it as mind games, but still committed to self-isolate for 2 weeks.
I didn’t agree with all of the protesters signs. The “DeFund the Police” sign threw me when I saw it. I didn’t understand it, at all, until someone explained it. I don’t think there is “one quick fix” but there has to be a way to eliminate bad cops and reward the good ones. Just one of the many possibilities…change is needed, and just by talking about it, we have initiated the first steps.
I have just 4 day left, and have had no sign of Covid 19. I am seriously the luckiest guy in the world, and yes, I would do it all over again, without hesitation. If you know me, you know that I try to treat everyone with respect; it’s how I am, and how I will always be. I felt a need to share with you, and if you made it to the end of my story I really appreciate it. I really labored over the video. I think I could edit it forever, I decide to post even though I dont consider it complete. Please scroll up and take a look.
Steps ARE being taken in the right direction. Please be open to change as we make the world a better place for everyone.
#covid19, #BlackLivesMatter, # WashingDCProtest, #WashingtoCDRally,
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