The Ypsilanti daily press., 1945-03-26
Observations
Season Brings
Capital Annual
Thrill, Beauty
BY HELEN ESSARN
BY HELEN EssARY

This town makes ne very Hldu
sometimes. say, This place is
too full of prima donnas. | want TO
20 of where there aren't so many
important people. | want to so
where there is only one big frog in
a nice little puddle II would be
nice if that puffed-up frog were
me. But here the pressure Of per
Qualities and of headline-makers is
so terrific that you find yourself eN.
hausted from the struggle of trying
TO make other people think you
are important too
think and say all these dumb
things. And wonder what would be
the best far-away spot for rest
and refreshment OF the spirit. And
here comes spring to the city on
the Potomac. The whole place
huns with excitement. Trees swell
up (poetiC word. 'burgeOn } with
next weeks young, green leaN as.
Golden forsythia lights the high
WAYS and bypaths and the garden
gates. Little birds that are only
an encouraging voice in tree top
you re too lazy to sight, twltter
like the dickens about something or
other.
In the zoo. giraffes and bears and
other fauna produce young in time
for the Sunday sightseerS and the
cameramen. The Washington Mon
ument. and the Lincoln Memorial
argue for shadow space in the re-
fleeing pool down in Potomac
Park. Hundreds of new spring
chapeauX burst into flower on tops
OF assorted quantities Of gray mat
ter. on Sunday | even saw walk
ing sticks swinging from goldbraid-
ed arms along the Connecticut Ave
nue. promenade Often:
The bonnets that bloom in the
spring tra-la.
Have nothing to do with the
face
Often the bonnets are Leaning
Towers OF Pisa Though they do
say the tall and frightening turban
was old in Fra a-anz six months
ago.. Sometimes you sight on
female head a swirl OF tulle whip
ped up with an egg-beater and dec
GRATED with fresh orchid. Conyer-
sation pieces, these spots OF milin-
cry. Done up with innocent insan-
ity? All, no dear. On the contr.
AIRY. Pieces OF determined guile.
Done on purpose as an antidote
to too much female independence.
Done to give men the traditional
chance 10 say: Aren't women
crazy, Did you ever see anything
like the stun they put on their
heads and call hats
SPRING. THE FOOLISH. OVER
EAGER THING, has got into the
minds and the bones Of the young
inteligentsis. Naturally. Waiting
in line recently at the grocery
store. clasping a ticket marked %
showing my turn at the red point
division. | overheard two school
! teachers talking:
Il declare, my pupils are harder
10 manage than they've been all
this unmana gesble year said one
entire class is in the least interest
ed in knowing anything or has the
least respect for authority. All
OF them are chronically disobedi-
ent."
You're telling me-" said the
other. with pleasant lack OF Conver-
sational grammar Mine pay abso-
lutely no attention 10 what / am
saying. When l turn my back I
suddenly find groups OF them stand
ing at the window looking out. And
when ! say. Children. don't you
know this is against the rules,
every last one OF them has The
same answer
Don't fence me in"
WASHINGTON LIKELY won't
be having its usual sightseers this
spring. No egg rollers or such
Wisely directed visitors. II any
will skip those blocks and blocks
OF hideous streets thick with dirt
underfoot and made OF rundown
houses and shacks. The famous
beauty OF Washington is highly
concentrated in a few neighbor
hoods.
Smartly directed sightseers viii
look for those shining marble TEN
pies along Constitution Aye.--the
Department OF Agriculture, Com
merce and such So alike are these
temples that old residents forge
they exist in the rush to make tbs
green trafic lights. The Pan-Amer
lean Union is still the most roman
tic building in town and the ole
Smithsonian. the funniest The
Smithsonian. it's lilac walks pleas
sptlv dulled by age. is JOY to th'
Nitectural nonconformist:
0ck Greek Park is still IA,
'est place in town Nobod!
IS cut its slow. winding road
- the sort of slivers that max,
tomac Park and that which wa
once the lovely Mt. Vernon Blvd
a kind OF noodle soup highway.