update: Chicago: Day Five Gallery

First off, i can’t thank joey and nick enough for allowing us to stay at their home. after having Project Improv roll through there (I think there were 5 of them) the week before, and then having us in there for five days, and joey leaving today…. it’s been fairly hectic in the Casa Belmaggio e Smith. So, to Joey and Nick – THANKS. Joey is leaving (today, I think) for Colorado for an extended two and a half month engagement, so break a leg, Joey. Nick, hang in there, buddy. I tell you — that boy is a smart and funny guy. Funny, because he doesn’t know how funny and gifted he is, I think. Hah. Ah well — watch out for pirates.

Chicago was a great town. I think it gets a bit of a bad rap as always being cold and windy, and from meteorological data, that would seem to be true — however, empirically speaking, Hunter and I enjoyed near-perfect weather. Rain only upon leaving.

Big cities have such a different character and dynamic that small cities. You put people together in close proximity, and they seem to get together. Nick’s area of town is very “integrated”, and to quote him “I’ve never felt threatened”. Not that Nick is or was fearful of other cultures, but I think when you put folks together they realize that other cultures aren’t that bad after all. I’ve never had so many people greet me on the street than in Chicago (including Ted Nugent).

I’ve come to the conclusion that I love trains. I’ve always got some sort of sociological experiment or observation in the back of my mind, and the train is like a little petri dish. Hunter’s own observation noted that “white folks are the most selective about their seats”. Meaning that they won’t sit by a non-white by choice. This is by no means a generalization, but white folks seem to do it more than other races. Maybe it’s just a cultural thing, I dunno. The train by itself is a hurdle by itself. In Louisville, “personal space” is quite abundant. In Chicago, not so much. Even the personal space of your car is in high demand. Chicago is the reason I think all cars should still have steel bumpers. Parallel parking isn’t just a hobby — it’s a necessity. All this composite-foam 5 mile an hour stuff is bunk. Ahh well. On the converse, Mini‘s are needed.

Larger cities spawn interesting sub-cultures that small cities will never see. Communities of similar-minded people have the manpower to exist and thrive (i.e. the comic scene, the ‘zine scene, the band scene, the gay community, etc). And the great thing about large cities — no one cares a lick about what you do, as long as it doesn’t adversely affect the public as a whole. You wanna be gay? Sure. You wanna dress up like Sailor Moon? Whatever. You want to wear an eyepatch? Bring it. All in all, a large city can be a very inspirational place. Now, I’m sure there are plenty of problems in the big city, but I was on vacation — no time for crime. Heh.

This trip was also a great time to hang out with Hunter, Nick and Joey. It had been a long time since I’d just hung out (extendly) with any of my old friends. Hanging out reading graphic novels was great. Very relaxing. It had been a long time since we just talked — or had a drink or two and talked even louder. Good times all around.

I had a great time in Chicago.