What self-respecting photo essay can begin with anything other than a national icon. Tired? sure. Overdone? absolutely. But, while shaking your head, recognize that it is a national monument for reasons beyond each of us. Consider the bravest risk you have taken and compare it to the minions who set sail from other parts of the world in quest for qualities and benefits we have always deemed default. We've seen it in movies, read about it in books, but I don't know that these mediums can possibly replace the authentic emotions this chunk of patina yanked from many of our fellow humans.