Wonder or Contempt?

When I was 20, I was amazed at this dramatic escalator to the underworld, indeed the whole wonder of taking the Metro. As I looked at the faces around me, I could see that most wore a facade of .... what? apathy? Perhaps it was more like contempt. I thought about this moment as I drove to work this morning. As I was remembering this wonder I felt as a 20 year old, I realized the drama of my own commute: hurtling back and forth to work every day propelled by gasoline - energy stored millions of years ago by lush plant life that fossilized. For me to live my life now, something had to happen millions of years ago.

When I was 20, it seemed to me that if one made that trip through the Metro every day for 20 years it would change them. I understand a bit more what that change is, however. Every day one becomes more contemptuous of everything; or every day one surrenders a bit more to the wonder of everything. When I was 20 it seemed unforgivable for folks not to be moved at such a sight; now, I see that only a miracle can wrench us from this contempt. But it's a miracle that can happen everyday if you ask for it, and if you surrender to what is.

Escalators at Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan Metro station. Photographed by Ben Schumin on October 26, 2003. The photo is licensed under the Creative CommonsAttribution ShareAlike 3.0 Nabbed from Wikipedia.