Nature’s song is a beautiful one. I laid in bed this morning listening, watching, almost feeling. I could almost feel the breeze. I felt rather well-rested, especially considering this was at 4:30 a.m. That was a nice something to wake to; I want it more often.
In less than a week I will venture beyond the reinforced gates of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency–legally. I am really looking forward to this “open house” of theirs. So many burning curiosities and questions. According to my host, I will get to see her work area–one classified as Top Secret Sensitive Compartmented Information! I am angry that I know the classifications. Too bad I cannot take pictures. Last time I did, I nearly got shot.
Short story shorter: one day I had my mom drop me off in the park across the street from NGA so I could take pictures. I got some photos from a distance–even one of the sign–but as I got closer, guards surfaced and were all like “Is that a camera?” I was like “No.” Photographing aside, I was simply trying to get closer so I can read the signs with titles along the lines of “Warning: US Air Force Installation” and “Whatever Else Those Signs Said: I Wouldn’t Know Because I Couldn’t Read Them.”
This is bigger than me going into FBI. Or at least the doorway of FBI. A friend and I were in the area, so I suggested that we check the place out. We did. She actually walked past the gate (it was open); after some hesitation, I did. I wanted to ask the guard what the point of a security checkpoint is when this gate is wide open. He made us leave. Instead of leaving the grounds, I sat outside on the bench and began to read a book. He came out, “Sir, you have to leave.” I wondered why; I was not bothering anyone, just reading a book and enjoying doing so on quasi-Intelligence Community property. After awhile, and further questioning, I left.
Good times.