I have an idea...

Have you ever had an idea that is so huge that you have no clue how or where to begin?! That's where I am this morning. Just to prove my point... I have been sitting here for the past 26 minutes staring at the first two sentences of this blog! Okay, so I'm going to just go with this as it flows from my head... hold on, it could be a bumpy ride!
My fascination with our nations capitol started in the summer of 1971. I had just finished 1st grade and my family decided on a vacation to Washington, D.C. What the heck? It was only a 10 hour drive from our home in a tiny, one stop light town in rural Georgia. Sometimes, I wonder if my parents really thought that through... two children, 6 and 9 years old, a 10 hour drive to a large city full of history! That's every young child's dream trip, right?! I am glad that we did, though, because it made such an impact on my very young, impressionable mind. Five years and a little brother later, we made our second trip to D.C. On this trip we were joined by my Grandmother and my Great Grandfather. This was, yet again, a very memorable journey for me. There is one place, though, that made the biggest impact on me. It was Arlington National Cemetery. It took my breath away.
Did you know that there are over one hundred national cemeteries in the U.S.? I didn't. It just happens that Arlington is the best known. Did you know that it sits on 624 acres and is the final resting place for over 320,000 servicemen and women?
Three days ago I returned to Arlington National Cemetery for the first time in approximately 34 years. It still takes my breath away. As I made my way towards an old, familiar site from my youth, the grave of John F. Kennedy, I was snapped back to reality by the sound of rifles firing. A funeral with full military honors was taking place. In these services, before the body is lowered a squad fires three rifle volleys which are heard throughout the cemetery. It made the hair on my neck stand at attention. The only thing that overshadowed hearing these shots fired was the frequency of the event. Did you know that, right now, there are 30 to 40 funerals per day in Arlington? I am speechless.
I walked back to the visitors center full of emotion. I met Darlene. She works there. I began to talk to her about my idea. She offered insight and suggestions to help me get started. It is a huge idea... I have been mulling it over since Jan. of this year. It has been just a thought, very slowly evolving over the past six months into a massive undertaking. Is it even possible? Of course it is! Can I do it alone? No, I don't think that I can. I am terrified to even admit what I am thinking of doing! I am a fat asthmatic who has systemic lupus and fibromyalgia. There are days when I can hardly make it out of my bed. What the hell am I thinking?!
While I was talking to Darlene an obviously emotional young woman approached the desk. Darlene, full of compassion, asked the woman if she could help her. The woman started to cry and in a voice hardly above a whisper she spoke, "My husbands headstone is cracked". At that moment in time it became very clear to me, very real to me that THIS idea is now a project that I must do. These headstones are people. They are loved ones. They are children, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, husbands and wives.
My idea is now called The Arlington Photo Project. It is huge. It is no longer just a thought rolling around in my brain. It is real and I will follow through with it. At 45 years old I have finally figured out what I am supposed to do when I grow up. Can I do this alone? No, I don't think so.