The Rally

I am of two minds on how to go about describing my trip from Ottawa to Washington DC to attend the Stewart/Colbert Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear. Part of me wants to describe the rally, and what happened. The other part wants to describe the road trip part. Both aspects of the weekend seem equally important to me. Probably not for you.

2000km of driving. Two days spent in a car; I got to know some strangers pretty quickly. Picked up high-proof alcohol at the border. Spent hours telling jokes. Railed against Venn diagrams (it’s not fair that John Venn will get remembered forever for drawing two freakin’ circles). My friend beside me was reading a book that at some points seemed to include me as a character.

DC is a funny place. Being in DC reminded me of something. I feel like I’ve been there before. It’s a city that seems to be made up of wide open boulevards, huge buildings and ghettos. The rally had over 200 000 people there. I saw several signs that said “I hate crowds” and sympathized. It is one of the few things that just locks me up with anxiety, to be herded like cattle.

I got the same feeling I got when in the Vatican Museum: my fists clench and loosen, my toes curl and I feel trapped trapped trapped. Once we stopped moving places (we tried to get into a safe tree to see better but got stuck behind some giants and giantesses) I relaxed a bit and could enjoy the show.

For information on the rally itself, the rest of the internet can provide it ad infinitum/naseaum. It was funny, it was too political, it wasn’t political enough, what difference will it truly make etc. It’s a conversation I have nothing to add to.

I’m certainly glad I went. It will be something to tell my grandchildren, immediately before they say “who the hell are you? Get out of my room!”