Fireflies…and a rat

This week, I saw two things I’ve never seen before: fireflies and a rat.

I’ve been told that the fact I haven’t seen any rats yet in D.C. is sort of a wonder. As one person said, “Let’s put it this way…that rustling in the bushes ain’t squirrels.” This particular specimen of vermin was lying dead in Dupont Circle, a block away from a row of foreign embassies, with hundreds of people in the general vicinity, reading in the grass and taking pictures around the fountain. A friend and I sidestepped the dead rat and carried along our merry way. I bring it up, as gross as it is, only because it speaks to this aspect of D.C. I have been thinking a lot about lately – less about what I am experiencing as what people have warned me about. So far, my place hasn’t had any rats (although apparently there’s a mouse lurking somewhere…another thing I have been told about but have yet to see). I’m somewhat shocked that, other than small ants that seem to be everywhere, this place has been pest-free. And yet I must admit that I hold my breath a bit when I turn on the kitchen light at night, fearing some yet-to-be-seen scurry.

There is a lot of talk of crime in D.C., of interns taking the shuttle at some of the museums because so many people were getting jumped in the two blocks from the metro to the museum’s front doors. One intern said her small museum has had so many problems that a security guard walks her from the site to the bus stop every day. The area around my work is swarmed with tourists and security guards; I mostly just try to watch my bag. I feel perfectly safe.  But in my neighborhood, a swarm of late-night sirens in front of my house prompted me to check the D.C. crime map – which was a mistake. I’ve gotten much faster at unlocking the two locks on my front door. I walk with purpose. (and I feel dumb writing it like that, but am not sure how else to say it…) I don’t look at my phone. Late at night, I sometimes take cabs distances I would normally walk.

Friends remind me that much of the crime on that map is targeted, that a small percentage of people are involved in a large percentage of the crimes. They say that they mostly feel safe. And yet they all have stories, freak occurrences that they or their friends have experienced recently. It’s hard to tell how cautious to be – I do not want to be some over-paranoid small town girl, or even worse, a privileged white girl, but I also realize that, living here short term, I guess I need to err on the side of overly careful. I’ve lived in urban areas but never places where conversations about violent crimes seem to come up quite so easily or so often. I wish I could be here longer and get a better sense of the city, but somehow my time here is almost halfway up already.

So, the fireflies. We don’t have them in Montana. They were starting to come out in Austin near the river in the few weeks before I left, but I never found myself near the river at sundown. A few evenings ago, I was walking along the street, admiring the rowhouses, when my eye caught a little flash. I didn’t actually know what it was. But then I saw another and actually gasped. A huge smile spread across my face. I walked a little more slowly, trying to catch a few more out of the corner of my eye. Last night, I was in Virginia at a poolside party, complete with Hawaiian band and a hula dancer, and the fireflies were lighting up all over the backyard, in among the ivy-covered trees, even reflecting off the pool’s water. It was magical to me. Which was funny for another guy at the table, who grew up in the area, said his parents’ backyard is swarming with them, and that, in the end, they are just bugs.

It’s so interesting how our personal, limited perspectives shape everything, don’t you think? Urban annoyances to some are causes for real concern for others. Moments of magic for me are typical experiences, even mildly disgusting, for someone else.

Luckily, my days here are a lot more fireflies than rats. I’m seeing a lot, I’m learning a lot. This place has me thinking. And that’s a nice feeling, being challenged. This week it really started to feel like summer, and I’m excited to see what more D.C. has to offer in the coming weeks. Keep your fingers crossed that I continue to have those firefly moments, that I continue to see and appreciate little glimpses of magic.

(photo by me, taken outside the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden)