So I was driving today and remembering how, when I was a kid, we used to play the game of, “What’s the capital of (fill-in-the-blank)? Then my mind wandered onto the question, “How many state capitals have I set foot in?” Sometimes my mind wanders into places that amuse me, and this was one of them, so I started counting, and I came up with 16, so about a third of them. Then I wondered how many national capitals I’ve set foot in, and the answer is 5, which is like, what? 2% of them? That’s my guess.
Then I thought, “That seems like something BF Skinner/Cameron Prof would have asked, I wonder if he ever did?”
So, in honor of Jeremy, I’m sharing the afternoon wanderings of my mind with you and inviting you to jump in. How many US state capitals have you set foot in? How many national capitals? Which was your favorite? Which was underwhelming? What story comes up when you think about it?
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For the record, my state capitals are Atlanta, Nashville, Jackson, Providence, Santa Fe, Boston, Albany, Oklahoma City, Charleston, Tallahassee, Salt Lake City, Hartford, Annapolis, Columbus, Baton Rouge, and Little Rock. I was born in California and have been to tons of cities and towns there, but I don’t think I’ve ever set foot in Sacramento.
The country capitals are Washington, DC, Amman, Mexico City, London, and Edinburgh.
My favorite was Amman, but that’s probably because I just got back. Or maybe it’s because my daughter and son-in-law live there so I got to see it from an emotionally significant perspective. Or maybe it’s because, along with Turkey, it’s the closest I’ve ever been to the origins of human existence. Who knows? I just know I’m still glowing from the experience!