Washington Visual Situational Tour

The bullet entered my head through the left temple. It shattered my skull upon entrance, and managed to make its way through the hypothalamus, the sensory cortex, and the parietal lobe before exiting just above my right ear. The pain was sharp, immediate, and brief. After that, my vision turned to white.

Ahh, my father. He started every morning the same way, with a cup of joe and a Marlboro. I haven’t seen him in a long time; we had drifted apart over the years.

Oh nice, my favorite toy, a metal trolley my uncle gave me one birthday. As I am now older, I still haven’t figured out what it is about certain toys that make them appealing to certain children, but not others.

No kidding, it’s Mr. Henry. He was my neighbor when I was a kid. Real nice guy, I always got a kick out of how he would always call me “Mister” or “Sir” and give me a firm handshake whenever we greeted one another.

Now this brings back memories. This is the sign at the bus stop I would take into town on the weekends. It’s funny the specific things that you remember perfectly without even trying, subconsciously crammed in your memory.

Case in point. I worked at a museum in the city during high school, and the back of this guard was pretty much my view for 3 hours a day. I’ve never known the back of someone so well. Come to think of it, I’m not even sure what his face looks like.

This wreath hung on our door at home every Christmas. Why I am recalling it now is beyond me.

I can smell the freshly cut grass now. I used to mow this gentleman’s lawn for 5 bucks when I was 10. I’d be lying if I told you those funds weren’t immediately purged at the candy store.

Pink coat. At the metro station. Got on the number 6, went two stops, and got off. I never saw him again.

My first bike. My only bike.

I found this metal eagle buried in the sand at a park one day. I kept it on my desk as a paperweight, and it was usually the last thing I saw before I fell asleep.

I was starting to wonder if this guy was going to pop up. Frank, my best friend since grade school. Hah, I remember when we built a space ship out of some old cardboard boxes in my garage and pretended we were astronauts. I never became an astronaut.