On the wall for all to see

I took a moment on Saturday to browse the fourth floor art gallery at the Woodbridge Campus of Northern Virginia Community College, and what I saw brought a smile to my face.

I could take some time to write about the extensive tornado coverage I provided to my newspaper this week, or about the relentless rains that are causing low-lying flooding as I write this, but I would rather talk about some images that make us who we are.

Two side-by-side images in one frame caught my eye immediately, as an art student found an old picture of his grandmother’s 1950’s-era car sitting outside a Woodbridge home. The student went back to the home, nearly 60-years later and took another photo of a Honda minivan parked in the same spot.

The comparison was striking, not only because the shot captured how much time had changed the home, but probably because the house looked to sit on or near Botts Ave., an old hang-out from my younger days.

Other photos displayed were similar comparison streetscape shots of Old Town Manassas and Qccoquan, with big finned black-and- white cars on one side of the street, and sub-compacts in full living color on the other. They showed me how much has changed over such a relatively short period of time.

Another shot depicted the infamous corner at U.S. 1 and Prince William Pkwy., where day-laborers stand daily and wait for work.

Because these pictures showed places me the places I grew up near, they gave me a sense of place.

Other areas of the commonwealth have their own look and feel; Richmond has historic neighborhoods that are quickly becoming an arts Mecca. Further down I-64 travelers will find the beach and the first colony in the New World. In Southwest Virginia, the mountain music and friendly smiles define the state’s portion of Appalachia.

What is Northern Virginia’s culture? Other than being located outside of DC, who are we and what do we stand for? We are known for great schools, military and good government salaries;
but will this region ever have the “cool” factor?

We know that you can raise a family here, and as long as the Federal Government remains in business, so will the area’s commuting faithful. But only time will tell what NOVA will look like in another 60 years from now.

Right now may be a good time to take a look at who we are.