Letter to Chicago - 10.28.22
Dear Chicago,
Awesome first date… I like you lots and I look forward to our second date. I dig your people… there’s a transparency to a city brashness. You can “ax” me questions anytime. All dressed mild-mannered and mid-West like.👖🥼👟 You’re pretty clean for a big city but keep working on the river. I will never tire of your architecture. Damn! And wow! I loooooove your L-Train! I will hold onto my CTA card 4ever. The bus… not so much… I was left holding my chapstick in my hand way too many times at the bus stop. It was supposed to come... but it didn’t come. It didn’t come at all. My app said 1 min and then it said it departed. I didn’t see it. There was no bus! Ghost bus? Your bus ghosted me! And it was raining… 😠
Anywho, no one is perfect and I forgive you.
Remember that time on the Brwn-Line train to Kimble, that crazy person was spitting on people and threatening to kill them? …that was awesome!
I missed the Art Institute. It was closed on the day I showed up… and that’s where we should meet for our second date. And I shall count the moments until then. Let’s text each other until I return… with the emojis and everything. 💙🏢⛲️🚉🍕🍁😘
Smiles,
xoxo
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Tens tons of fun in Chicago town. FarmerJill took the Amtrak up from Normal, IL and we had something called a Pizza Pot Pie. An eff’n pizza pot pie, folks! Why is this not a thing?!? I feel so blessed to have people take time out of their lives to spend some moments with me as I ramble through.
Ms HeatherZenByrd came up from 2 hours south of the city in her car machine the following day to take me to the Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago. I took pictures and you’re not supposed to take pictures. Shiva may be mad and rain down lessons upon my head. Although, Shiva does owe me one… maybe two. We then had an awesome snack at a Guadalajara vegan restaurant before she dumped me in China Town to fend for myself. Again, blessed and many thanks.
My entire stay was in a basement apartment of a brownstone in the Roscoe Village neighborhood that is owned by a retired court judge. Nick is about my age, has a dog named Jim, holes in his sneakers and has a BMW motorcycle. A motorcycle! I enjoyed his company and conversation and he was immensely generous. He invited me back for cash under the table. So Chicago!
I thought about staying another week but the winds are pushing me back to the West Coast. I’ll be in Denver tonight and I plan on driving to Berkeley, CA shortly after that. If you want to meet me for a pizza pot pie in either of these places… or somewhere in between... I’ll tell you the tale of a false incantation of Shiva that showed up in an urban Buddhist’s life in the State of New Mexico and rained down earthly lessons upon his head… and ten tons of bullshit.
