Everything happened in a second, not even two. He entered the place, came two steps forward and exploded.

His body was blown in half, his head went one way and his legs the other.

He came in, tried to sell razor blades and then went to the back of the shop where he blew himself up.

These are steps that could not have happened even two years ago. It would have been unthinkable, suicidal for us even to try them.

We want to applaud and celebrate where steps forward have occurred, but criticize and lament where steps have not been taken. We're talking about an issue that is of life-and-death consequence in the nation's capital.

But you can build a future out of anything. A scrap, a flicker. The desire to go forward, slowly, one foot at a time. You can build an airy city out of ruins.