The History Beneath Our Feet

I went 2 blocks west of my office to meet a friend on The Hill for lunch. On the way I came across a section of Shaw undergoing some repair. 8" of asphalt or so on top of the cobblestone. It stopped me long enough to snap a picture or 2 and become mindful, once again, of the many years and many people who have come before us.

In the realm of the built environment this includes those who laid the cobblestone, covered it in asphalt and then, exposed it again, if only for a few moments.

There is a video going around and I have to admit I haven't watched it yet, but I like the gist of it. It is a high school graduation commencement speech in which the speaker tells the students they are not special. For me, this idea is embodied in the many, many layers under our feet. Our work is just another layer in something that has been going on for a long time.