A Clean Sweep: Ash Wednesday
Each year at midnight, the hour which begins Ash Wednesday, this is the scene in the French Quarter. Behind the last of the parades and revelers comes mounted policemen who line up across the entire street to sweep the crowds away. They are followed by clean-up crews and street-sweepers so that by the time the sun casts her first rays on the Crescent City on Ash Wednesday, all but the smallest signs of the season's excess and sometimes, debauchery, have disappeared. There's something so hopeful, so decent about this physical, concrete image. Even in a city that prides itself on good times, there is still some respect and some solemnity left. How many more tourist dollars could they bring in if they just allowed the party to continue? Maybe turn the French Quarter into an amusement park where it's Mardi Gras all year? But no, the streets are swept and the party people are sent home to assess their damages, regro...
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