This is the memory palace. I'm Nate DeMail.

Let's build a monument in you and I. Conjured from nothing but words spoken here.

And we'll pledge to hold it, at least for a time, pretending that it's normal and fine that

there's nothing here to actually hold on to, or to touch, run a finger across, warm in the

summer sun. Cold as winter seems to drag on and to spring.

Find that there's nothing to pose in front of on a Washington field trip.

First, we will need to get rid of what's already there.

So let's try to tear down the Washington monument. Try to wipe it from the landscape,

erase it from the postcards. The backdrop of photographs we've seen all our lives,

maybe have taken ourselves while on vacation. Pretend that isn't a hard thing to do.

And we will build this monument, using plans proposed long ago,

submitted for some formal approval back when they were soliciting public input

for what would become the iconic white obelisk that we are trying to forget about.

Which I probably just made harder to do by mentioning it again and I'm sorry.

But anyway, I remember some story about how they were looking for ideas.

I don't remember if I heard it or read it or when or where.

But I don't think that should stop us from making our monument, even if I'm not sure I'm getting

all the details right. I heard or I read or clicked on some link in Glance Dad and maybe misread that

when they were looking to finally honor George Washington. I say finally because some folks had

wanted to build a monument in Washington to Washington before he had died and before he had even

been president. When they got really serious about it in the 1830s I think.

And started raising money, appointing dignitaries to chair committees and sit on boards and

...