M2EP - Day 2

An amazing day! We slept in just a little this morning, since we decided to go directly to Capitol Hill rather than the Convention Center. We all said Morning Prayer together this morning before we left--the Lectionary readings from Daniel and John I seemed somehow appropriate. Our meeting with Sen. Susan Collins assistant went very well. This did not surprise us--Sen. Collins does a good job of listening to her constituents and looks out for what's best for Maine. After that meeting was done, we knew that we had free time until my meeting with Rep. Chellie Pingree at 3:30, so we made our way to the National Cathedral--not an easy task--Metro with 3 transfers followed by bus or taxi to get there. We chose the taxi. As always, the Cathedral was a treat for --we took a tour, led by a retired lawyer, who added all sorts on interesting historical information to his tour. This is one of our country's treasures....

We split up at Longwood Building to see our Representatives. While I kept my appointment with Rep. Pingree's assistant, Cindy and Tom paid a call on Rep. Mike Michaud. Again, we were well received. I particularly enjoyed my visit with Jennifer Taylor. The three of us met up again at a rally/reception that was help at the Raeburn Building--there was a full line of speakers, including the surprise appearance of the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi. When the rally ended, the three of us decided to have a quiet dinner and come home early, rather than return to the Convention Center for another inspiring worship service (though that was tempting!). We found a little Thai restaurant on the same block of the Metro stop, had that quiet dinner and headed home.

As I reflected about the day, one of the things that made an impression is the spirit here in our nation's capital. There's a sense of hope that's almost palpable--even the taxi drivers seem optimistic.

Tomorrow we learn how to bring what we have learned back home with us, to make a difference in our own communities and beyond.