Week in Insights: Stopping to Smell the Roses—or Cherry Blossoms

This is my favorite time of year to live in the Washington, D.C. area. Thousands of cherry blossom trees are in full bloom, filling the skies with little pink and white puffs and signaling that spring has officially arrived.

The flowering trees, concentrated near the Jefferson Memorial for more than a century, attract countless tourists and locals every year. The trees hit peak bloom early this year and, a week ago, I made the pilgrimage to see them at their brilliance up close.

What struck me was not the sheer volume of cherry blossom connoisseurs at the Tidal ...