J. KEVIN TUMLINSON

I recently got the chance to "play tourist" a little on a working trip to Washington, D.C. There's something sort of awe inspiring about being in a town with such a deep tradition of history, with so many monuments and historical buildings. Just walking down brick-paved sidewalks is a sort of treat to this small-town born Houston area resident. No personality neutral concrete slaps when you get into the historic heart of this city.

It makes me think about the "personality" of American cities. Certainly each city has one unique personality of its own. And maybe that personality is shaped more by public perception than anything else. Or maybe there's something intrinsic to the streets and buildings and climate that define "who" the city is. Washington, D.C. has a sort of busy charm to it. New York City shares that but also has at its heart an artistic sensibility. Houston is a city about local pride and congeniality, where all disputes can be solved over a good meal.

Architecturally, Houston isn't exactly a city that pops to mind when you think of "picturesque" or "beautiful." But its personality is clear. There's a friendliness and openness when you're in the city. Traffic, like in every city, is bad, and it makes me glad that I've chosen to live in a small town where the pace is slower and the crowds are smaller. But even I have to admit to an electric thrill of excitement when I'm in the museum district or dining downtown.

Thinking of what makes a city come alive, you begin to wonder just how much of a part the people play. I've been to cities where I never really met a soul, but got a definite sense of the town's personality. Key West, for example, is laid back but somewhat deceptive in the face it presents to the world. The same with Baton Rouge -- a sort of facade hangs over these cities, and when you penetrate that curtain you find a sort of ugliness. And then, when you think you couldn't love that particular stray puppy, you find that the facade isn't so phony after all, and that these cities perk up and come to life at certain times of the day or night. And suddenly you can't hold a grimey underbelly against a city that clearly has so much joy and life to offer.

I've always been an advocate of small town life, but I can definitely see the appeal of a life within the canyons of a large city. Especially one rich in history. And, in the case of D.C., one that vibrates with political and economic power. It can become somewhat addictive, to sample those intense personalities time and time again. I'm just a simple country boy, but I can see that.

J. Kevin Tumlinson is the Publisher and Editor for ViewOnline Magazine at www.viewonline.com. He is a Houston Baptist University graduate with degrees in English and Communications and a Masters in Education. You can reach him by e-mail at kevin@viewonline.com. He's just a simple country boy, and unfamiliar with your big city ways.