This past weekend, I got the rare opportunity to see the Washington, D.C., in a rare way that few people get to experience. I got to see the inner workings of our government up close and personal.

This weekend was an especially good time to visit because Congress was in session debating what is one of the most hotly debated issues of our time, the health care reform bill.

Now before I go any deeper, please understand that as a reporter for a small-town newspaper my political views are neutral. I went to Washington with an open heart and mind.

My journey began on Oct. 28 when I went on the Triad Flight of Honor. While visiting the World War II Memorial, I saw Fifth District Rep. Virginia Foxx. I can’t even remember how long I have known her. I guess as long as I have worked at The News. When I told her of my love of Washington, she asked if I would like to come back and see the “real” D.C. sometime. Of course I wanted to, I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t accept that invitation.

I got a call from Rep. Foxx on Nov. 2 to see if I wanted to come up this past weekend. I immediately said yes and I’m glad I took her up on her invitation.

I made it to Washington around 10 p.m. Friday to find out that my host was still in a rules committee meeting. I later found out that the committee didn’t let out until 2:30 a.m., and she worked another hour before going home to turn in.

The next morning I met the congresswoman and we headed to the Capitol just before 9 a.m.

On the way into the building, she saw a family of three standing on the sidewalk. She asked them if they wanted to go into the Capitol. Of course, they said, that’s what they were trying to do, but weren’t sure how to get in, it was such a crowded day. So with me and three others in tow, we charged up to the Capitol building.

Once inside, she led us up to the gallery level of Congress. It was amazing walking into that history-filled room. She explained with great detail everything in the room. I was proud to see the words, “In God We Trust” in gold above where the speaker sits. Jesse Jackson Jr. was I guess what you would call the interim speaker for the morning. Foxx said he does a “very good job” every time he fills in for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. That morning there were only about 20 or so representatives there.

As the morning began, I was very proud to place my hand over my heart to say the Pledge of Allegiance, probably more so than at any other time in my life. A prayer was said, which was also a big moment for me. As we sat together, I found out that the Thomas family, who Foxx brought into the House with me, was from West Virginia and the father was a doctor. I did not get his name, but his son Patrick got to go down on the House floor with Rep. Foxx. You could see the excitement in his eyes. It didn’t take long for me to learn of Foxx’s love for history and teaching it to all she meets.

We all watched one-minute speeches back and forth on the health care debate, before it was time for me to go off for my tour of the Capitol, which had been prearranged by Foxx’s staff. But before I left for my tour, she took me and the Thomases on a little adventure. We really didn’t know where we were going, but we knew we were in good hands. Nobody was more surprised than me when she swung open the door to the balcony of the Capitol over looking the National Mall. Talk about taking your breath away. It’s hard to put that feeling into words, so I captured it on film. The memory of it, I will be taking with me to my grave.

I took a tour of the Capitol, which was extraordinary, but it got even better, when Rep. Foxx walked up to our tour group, and you have to keep in mind there were thousands of people there that day, and told them that the tour of the Capitol was pretty cool, but seeing what really goes on there is what is the most fascinating. So she went to get passes for everyone in my tour group for the gallery. She joked that they swore she was selling them.

I broke from the tour to walk with Rep. Foxx as I prepared to leave the Capitol for a scheduled tour of the Washington Monument. I mentioned that I wanted to grab a bite to eat before my next tour, we just happened to pass the congressional dining room. There wasn’t anybody there yet, so she said we could get an omelet, because they can make those the fastest.

Over brunch, I learned that Virginia came up poor, dirt poor. She said she swept the hallways of her high school for $10 a month. She was the first woman to be hired to do the job. She was also the first in her family to get an education. Her parents insisted that she go to college and marry a college-educated man. Her first political post was on the Watauga school board. After many years of serving in that capacity, she ran for a seat in the North Carolina Senate. She served there from 1994 until 2004. When Richard Burr decided to run for his senate seat, that’s when she ran and was elected to the House of Representatives.

What fascinated me so much about her story is that in my mind sitting before me was a humble woman who had worked hard for everything she had ever gotten in her life. I suppose somewhere along the line I had gotten it in my head that Republicans were just rich people trying to help rich people get richer. This is not at all the case with Foxx. To me, she is a hard working woman who wants to stand up for the rights of the people she represents. I do realize that she has gotten some harsh press for being outspoken, but isn’t that what we want of our representatives, someone who will stand up and speak for us? Whether you agree with her politics or not, her undeniable work ethic and the sheer love of fighting for us is simply inspiring.

After lunch, I took a quick taxi ride down to the Washington Monument. The view from the top is absolutely stunning. Next on my agenda was a tour of the Library of Congress. It is a writer’s dream to be in such a magnificent place. I can’t imagine how much knowledge must be held inside those rare and priceless books.

The flurry of activities in Washington is enough to wear a person out in a hurry, so I decided to take a break. After all, I heard people were waiting in lines to get into the gallery to see the big vote. But around 7:45, she called and said the vote was set to go down between 8:30 and 10 p.m. I hustled back over to the Capitol and tried to meet her at the entrance we went in that morning, but the building is so magnificent it was hard to tell where I had gone in that morning. I asked an officer, but only got herded along with the crowd. That’s OK, because I met a wonderful mother and her son, Pam and Hayden Conrad. He has such a passion for politics he had insisted on being there for the vote while they were in Washington scouting colleges.

The health care bill is so large, the actual bill is about eight to 10 inches tall. So while I would love to explain the ins and outs, all I know is that I believe more work needs to be done before we allow the government to take over our health care system.

At around 11:15 p.m., when the actual vote was taken, it came down to 220 for and 215 against. I felt warm tears fill my eyes, even though we were warned to keep our emotions to ourselves or we could be removed. Congress is not a spectator sport, they said. But shouldn’t it be? I wondered. I wish more people would become as impassioned as Congresswoman Foxx. We would all be better for it.

Yes, this was an historic day on Capitol Hill, and even though the vote won, it was by such a narrow margin the Senate will certainly have to think long and hard before giving it the go-ahead. Thank God for the checks and balances system of our country.

At the end of the day, I took my new friends to meet my congresswoman. Without asking a question, she knew what I had done. I had watched her hours earlier take total strangers and introduce them to history. She welcomed them with open arms. They were not her constituents, they are from Oregon. But to her, we are all Americans.

When all but a couple of congressmen had left the building, she took us for a visit of the House floor. We also got to stand in an empty rotunda, the place where presidents lie in state, and earlier in the day had been crowded with thousands of visitors. The magnitude of such honors will stay with me for a lifetime.

At the end of the day, what I learned is that even at my age of 40, Foxx ran circles around me. She has the energy and determination of someone half her age. I figured out along the way, without asking her age, that she is exactly as old as my mother would have been. And she has the same passion and drive as my mother had for people, education and God.

If you have not had the opportunity to go to Washington, D.C., to see our nation’s capital, I hope you get the chance. It is honestly an experience of a lifetime.

Mondee Tilley is a staff reporter for The Mount Airy News. She can be reached at mtilley@mtairynews.com or at 719-1930.