Today's Spring Break adventure involved a little bike ride from Alexandria to the Jefferson Memorial. Certainly, one of the rights of spring in these parts is a stroll around the Tidal Basin to take in the Cherry Blossoms at their blooming peak. Since I've lived in the Baltimore/DC area my entire life, I've seen more than my share of the beautiful pink blossoms. However, my first memory of taking in the pink flowers that line the Tidal Basin has nothing to do with the trees themselves.
Back in 1968 I was five years old and living in nearby Silver Spring. It was on April 4, 1968 that my parents decided to load up the family in our Ford Fairlane for a trip into DC. I can't say for sure if we ever saw the trees that day. I think we did, but at some point the news came over the radio that Martin Luther King Jr. had been shot. My parents were well aware of the reaction this news was sure to cause and we quickly made our way back home. I have a vision of myself peering over the front seat as the car sped along Connecticut Avenue. I was too young to process the events of the day. I only know I didn't like it at the time because I wasn't allowed to play outside until the rioting downtown was over some five days later.
12 hours ago
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