Having out-of-town guests always gives me a chance to appreciate things I take for granted about my marvelous hometown. For example, ever since I retired, I've been meaning to take in more of our museums, but it hasn't happened quite as I envisioned it. So today, when Josh and I headed out to the National Portrait Gallery, I felt both a little local pride and some retirement satisfaction as well.
My feelings were not misplaced: the hours we spent looking at the portraits of some of our notable countryfolk and reading about their accomplishments and failures were fun and informative, even though we barely made our way through a third of the museum. Noteworthy was the gallery of presidents, where you can clasp a cast of Lincoln's hands in your own, and Richard Nixon never looked so good as he does in his portrait by Norman Rockwell.
The recent acquisitions are usually my favorite exhibit, though, and today was no exception. Toni Morrison, Octavia Butler, and Beyonce lined the walls in the company of other remarkable Americans, most of them women, several rendered in non-traditional media like cut paper, quilted fabric, and video. The images were thrilling, and I left the gallery inspired and vowing to return soon.
You make retirement seem quite nice. I'm glad you're getting the hang of it.
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