Confession

I think I have a dark side. And no, I am not channeling my inner Kelly Clarkson on this one. I am referring to my fascination with crime shows, murder mysteries, and cold cases. One of my favorite TV shows is NCIS and I love anything written by David Baldacci and Mary Higgins Clark. I realize these are all works of fiction but I always end up being captivated by them. Just ask my roommates who sat through Taken and the Drew Peterson Lifetime movie with me. At one point, one of them looked at me and said "you do realize this is my worst nightmare, right?" Sorry for not changing the channel!

On Saturday, I took advantage of the free museum day and visited the Crime and Punishment Museum. It is one of the few privately owned museums in DC so I shouldn't have been surprised to see the line wrapped about the block for free admission. The hour long wait would not have been so bad if the guy behind me hadn't struck up a conversation. It was like being on a bad blind date that I didn't sign up for. Once I finally made it inside, I was able to put some space (as in a couple of exhibits) between my potential suitor and myself. I have never been so thankful for a crowded museum in my life.

The museum showcases the evolution of crime and punishment through the ages, beginning with medieval knights and ending with names and crimes that I recognized from my lifetime. It included everyone from Jean Lafitte to Al Capone and OJ Simpson. I thoroughly enjoyed all of the exhibits, especially the unsolved cases and crime lab. It was definitely worth visiting although not as a first non date. But then again, maybe I should find out if you will love me, even with my dark side.