At 5:50 am, I crossed North Carolina Avenue SE, headed to Pennsylvania Avenue in hopes of nabbing a quick cab ride to National Airport. It was that perfect moment when yesterday's heat had finally left the streets and the early morning air was cool and fragrant. Looking up and down the sidewalk, I walked past the closed doors of the Eastern Market and spied three women walking separately and purposefully towards their day. We each appraised the other and once all four of us intuited our similar mindsets, relaxed our shoulders, and continued walking wordlessly. We walked past the the bundled clothes sleeping on a bench, a woman in a wheelchair in the shadow of a corner building, and a man rummaging through the garbage. No cabs, only buses - so I took the Metro to feel safe in the company of strangers and arrived two hours before my flight.
I was randomly selected for a complete TSA search... for my safety.
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