So, Poetic Justice, it is…
Now, as you know, this notion can be manifested via a number
of charming antidotes.
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The undesirable result of Right Hose, Wrong Tank |
There’s the ol’ urban myth-ish story of a young lad
endeavoring to steal gasoline from an RV via a siphoning exercise… only to
accidentally stick his hose in the sewage holding tank rather than the petrol
holding tank. Needless to
say... that tanked. Whoops.
A more philosophical approach as uttered by
Dante Alighieri might be... And I shall
paraphrase: “Fortune-tellers will necessarily end-up walking around with their
heads on backwards (in hell), unable to see what is ahead, because that was
what they had tried to do in life.”
Obscure, but I get it.
Then there’s the practical, reality bit that I’ve
experienced. That is, going to
great lengths to procure a snow blower this past fall (whilst reflecting back
on the tons of snow I shoveled from my 100-yard-long drive last year) only to have this
winter more closely resemble a holiday in Barbados than Lake Tahoe during ski
season.
Which finally brings us to a historic bent on the concept... How about electing to go
to war against the country you love, for some harebrained conviction (AKA The
Confederacy*), only to have the same brothers you were ultimately responsible
for killing buried in the backyard of your home.
(*Yes, I know this is going to land me in hot water with a
lot of folks. So be it.)
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Arlington House & Cemetery |
Such is the story relating to Robert E. Lee and his ancestral
home, Arlington House (AKA the Custis-Lee Mansion, AKA The Robert E. Lee
Memorial) with his backyard, of course, being Arlington National Cemetery.
Ouch… Take THAT, Mr. Lee!
If you’re still not clear on the concept, try: Poetic
Justice—An ideal distribution of rewards and punishments in which virtue is
ultimately rewarded or vice punished by an ironic twist of fate intimately
related to the character's own conduct.
A mouthful, to be sure.
More simply put, we'll just call it: What goes around comes around.
And, true to the quote by Barry Hughart (Bridge of Birds: A
Novel of an Ancient China That Never Was):
“...the problem with poetic justice is that it never knows
when to stop.”
True enough. And, coincidentally, that is the story with Arlington House as its
backyard is still a popular place for fallen comrades-in-arms to meet to this
day.
All that being said, the focus here isn’t on the backyard,
but rather on the house, itself.
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The Lee Bedchamber |
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General Lee |
Arlington House was abandoned by the Lees early during the Civil War and was later used as headquarters for the Union army. The estate was confiscated for nonpayment of taxes, and its approximately 200 acres (80 hectares) were set aside for a national cemetery in 1864.
The house and grounds have served many purposes over the
last two hundred years—including being a working plantation / estate, a home to
63 slaves, and later a community for emancipated slaves.
It is now preserved as a memorial to General Lee, who gained
the respect of Americans in both the North and the South in due course.
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Arlington House, Today |
Today, Arlington House is part of the National Park Service,
and open to the public for tours.
Within the mansion, visitors will get a glimpse of the Lees' grand old
Southern aristocratic furnishings and rooms, and can even peruse the estate's
former slave quarters. The mansion
also houses a selection of artifacts and exhibits focused on Lee’s life.
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Arlington House, Yesterday |
Touring the mansion will take approximately an hour, and the
NPS does offer guided tours—but check ahead for availability and timing.
Arlington House is open to visitors from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30
p.m. Visits are first-come, first-served. Be advised, however, that there may be delays on busier
days. And, while you're there, why not wander into the backyard? There are many historically significant, if not solemn sites to experience there as well—not the least of which are The Tomb of the Unknowns, JFK and Jacqueline Kennedy burial plots / memorial, the Robert F Kennedy burial plot / memorial, and the Challenger disaster memorial, to name just a few.
The View from The Mansion |
Arlington House
(Custis-Lee Mansion)
(Custis-Lee Mansion)
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington, VA 22211
703.235.1530
Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every day except Christmas and
New Year’s Day.
Admission: Free
Parking: Paid parking is accessible from Memorial Drive in
Arlington, VA. The cost is $1.75 / hour for the first three hours, and $2.00 / hour
thereafter.
Metro: Blue Line to Arlington Cemetery. Then, it’s up the hill!
In sum… if you've not been, do go!
As the Civil War Sesquentenial is happening all around us, it’s only
appropriate.
For the latest, follow me at: http://www.twitter.com/@DeathXDrowning
© 2012 Death by Drowning
For the latest, follow me at: http://www.twitter.com/@DeathXDrowning
© 2012 Death by Drowning
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