Encounters: Tom B., Andrea L., Heather L. & one more

So I'm walking towards the Tidal Basin with Sam, because it's real close to my place.

We decide not to actually walk around it, though, and after passing by the Jefferson Memorial, we instead walk along the river towards the Hains Point area of West Potomac Park.

Before we turn away from the basin, I spy a familiar redhead walking towards me. Andrea and I went to school together at Montgomery College, and were both involved in the dance program.

When I actually came back after I graduated from UMD as a Dance Major I went back to MC to work on a show and to choreograph a dance, which I was lucky enough to have Andrea in. She was a beautiful mover who I really looked up to as far as dancing ability, aesthetics, and technique.

Anyway, she was out with her bf, sister, and her sister's bf/husband (? I can't remember). It was cool seeing her.

Sam and I start making our way towards the tip of Hains Point when I see someone on a bike. They yell "Hi JR", and while I said hi back, I didn't catch enough of a glimpse to put a name to the face...

That's actually one of the things that really frustrates me...I'm awful with names. I believe it's someone I've done a production with...that's usually a safe bet.

We continue to walk, and a couple of joggers approach. This time I make the connection first and say "Hi Tom" as he and a friend jog by. He says hi back. Tom is another acquaintance/friend I met during my brief stint singing with GMCW. DC's men's chorus is actually one of the largest (if not THE largest) glbta choruses in the country. At any given time, there are about a couple of hundred active singers, and it makes for getting to know everyone...well, a challenge. Tom was one of the other chorus members I got to know and become acquainted with.

So we make it to the tip of the point and start to head back. The weather's beautiful and there are so many people out, especially families with little kids.

One mother starts walking with her daughter in her stroller and I look at her because, well, it's a familiar face. It's Heather, and we most recently worked on the last show I was on stage for, Seussical, the Musical at KAT 2nd Stage. This was back in August/September. Heather and I actually also performed together, geez, several years ago now, in a Washington Savoyards production of The Merry Widow.

Seussical did so well, they're actually in the process of remounting it for May. Unfortunately I'm unable to rejoin the cast for this iteration of the show.

Anyway, those were my encounters this morning. It's nice to see how the weather just brings everyone (me included) out of the woodworks.

Events: Cherry Blossom Festival

Now I'm fortunate with my commute to school and work in that most often the quickest way from Southwest to the Cathedral area of DC involves driving around the Tidal Basin.

By foot, I'm only a 15 minute walk away...and that's what I decided to do today. I grabbed my phone (just in case, and it's not a smart phone...although I have issues with the implication of that term, but we'll talk about that next time), my camera, and my keys and headed out the door to check out the Cherry Blossom Festival.

I tweeted for

the first time from my phone, but I don't think it's going to become a habit, not yet anyway.

The cherry blossoms are supposed to hit peak bloom Friday and Saturday, but if today is any indication, I'm kinda glad I made time to go today because I'm sure it'll be much more crowded.

I kind of felt sorry for NPS, though, because despite clear signs and concrete barriers, not to mention a perfectly good gravel path that might've added no more

than a couple of minutes to one's walk, scores of people chose to walk across the green in places, probably not realizing that their very efforts to appreciate the trees was contributing to more compact soil which, over time, would actually harm the trees.

But I digress...personal path choices aside, it was really inspiring and comforting to see the array of people brought together by this gift from a Mayor in Tokyo, a gift that will see its first centennial in a couple of years. After taking this course at AU called Art, Community, and Diversity, I can't help but think of events like those and how they cultivate and redefine visitors sense of community, awareness of diversity, and all that jazz (thanks, Ali ;-) ). Kudos to our professor for that class, Suzan Jenkins, the Chief Executive Officer of the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County, for really providing a space to explore what those meant and how they intersected for us. It's not exactly a class where you can give right answers, but rather a way to ask the right questions.

Politics, religion, class, culture, all the things

that I believe actually makes us stronger as a nation and as people in general, but unfortunately are often used to divide us, were momentarily put on hold as people went on a simple walk around, enjoying the cherry blossom trees.

Gotta love it :-)