Memories of Union Station

It is a Saturday sometime in the early 1990s. I am eating lunch at Au Bon Pain in Washington, DC's Union Station. I look up from my book and sandwich to see an elegant, dark-haired woman wearing large sunglasses and walking in my direction. I try not to stare, but there is something faintly familiar about this woman. As she passes, the recognition crystallizes. It is Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. I manage to stifle any outburst at seeing, in person, one of the most famous women of the 20th Century. The most striking thing is that she is alone; no escort, no Secret Service detail. She passes and is gone. I revel in one of those moments that occurs when one lives in a place like Washington. I finish my sandwich and decide that it wouldn't hurt to get just one more glimpse of her. I figure she is at Union Station to take a train back to New York, so I quickly, but non-chalantly, make a tour of the waiting area. There is no sign of her. Oh, well. My next stop of the day is Georgetown to see a movie, and I decide to treat myself to a cab ride instead of taking the Metro. I make my way through the great hall and out to the taxi stand. As I get in line, there, standing right in front of me, is not only Mrs. Kennedy but John and Caroline. Again, I make an attempt to stifle any outburst or personal engagement. Unfortunately, those around me don't work quite as hard. Pictures are taken. Greetings are made. One woman asks, "Are you Mrs. Kennedy?" If they are at all bothered by the attention, they don't show it. They are polite to the gawkers and picture takers - regal, almost. I am getting angry for them for the awkwardness, rudeness and intrusion. In a matter of minutes, they are in their cab and off.

That is probably my best memory of time spent at Union Station. There are many others, including after work drinks at Fat Tuesday's (They served a kind of Slurpee for adults!), lunches with co-workers down in the food court, dinners at Uno's, shopping at Brookstone's, and my own mini-film festivals at the AMC theatre. The old adage goes, "You can never go back." That is true, but the memories of some very special times will stay with me forever.

On a recent trip back to the area, I got a chance to revisit Union Station. It had been 15 years since I had seen her. She has held up well. I wanted everything to be exactly the same as I had left it back in 1995. I wanted to see my friends waiting for me. But while much was the same - the Grand Hall, Uno's, the Rice Bowl, the Indian food place where I first fell in love with pakoras, samosas and curry, much had changed. The AMC theatre where I saw numerous movies (I still have all of the ticket stubs), like Steel Magnolias, Schindler's List and Dead Poet's Society is now boarded up. Fat Tuesday's has been replaced by a diner. The Greek food vendor and the place that made the best fish sandwich are gone.

It was great to see the grand place one more time. Hopefully, it won't be another 15 years before my next visit.