Photoessay #675 - Tracing

Where are we and what are we doing?

Eleven years ago, when Ilana was 11, she and I went to Washington DC on an impulse. They were studying Washington DC at school. Every day she would come home and say "If I went to Washingon DC, I would go to the white house" "If I went to Washington DC, I would go to the Smithsonian" etc. So after a few days, I said "Let's GO to Washington DC and see all these things!!" Pretty wild idea with four kids and not much money. But my cousin June lives in Washington DC, maybe we could come for a visit.

So we went and had a great time. Ilana was a great kid to take, she was very interested in all of the sites. She would go to the Library of Congress, the Capitol Building and enjoy all of it. Susanna would have gone to one place and the rest of the time spent at the swimming pool. June and her husband Eric showed us a great time. Eric, at one time had been a counsel to the Judiciary Committee. Keep in mind this was before 9/11. He took us for a tour of the offices, down to the ice cream shop favored by the staffers in the basement and finally to an empty conference room. The microphone was live and Eric stepped up to it and said in his best legislative hearing voice "Mr. Chairman, I would like to introduce, from the State of Washington, Ilana Barnes" Ilana gave out a little shriek and ran from the room.

On the last day of the trip (it was VERY hot), we went to the Vietnam Memorial. At the crux of the memorial were some older veteran types who had plenty of tracing paper and charcoal, encouraging the visitors to make tracings. June had told me that it was more meaningful if you could make a tracing of somebody you knew. The only person I could think of was A. John Wesolowski, brother of my former boyfriend Steve, who I had no contact with. But we went with it, we looked up his name, sure enough he was there, found the name and went to work. Ilana must have taken the picture of June and myself. We did it, we made the tracing.

Now what to do with it. I should send it to Steve but I didn't want to send it without warning him. It could be an emotional jolt to see that tracing unawares. I forgot if I called him or what. Anyway I talked to him and did send the tracing to him.