Dear Chicago:
Today I do not love you. Today your skies poured flooding rains. Today your buses and trains were late, the distance between two places painfully stretching to infinity. Today your streets clogged like messy drains. Today, your mighty winds tore my umbrella apart and left me soaked.
Chicago, you got the best of me today. You unearthed memories of Seoul, of ridiculous stress, unbearable waiting and crowding, of miscommunication and misunderstandings. Today, you are more annoying than my worst day in Korea. Today you reminded me that patience is a virtue – a virtue I don’t care about when I all I want to do is punch you in the face.
Today your cafes were full and when I finally sat down, I listed all the reasons I hate you.
Today you fail to inspire. Worse than a brutal, snowy wind in the dead of winter, your gloom on this rainy March afternoon, when spring is just out of reach, is like the last month of a prison sentence.
Come on Chicago, bring on the sun, bring on the warmth. Bring on your green trees and wide-open parks, your sparkling lake and soft breezes. Bring on your outdoor cafes and boat tours, parades and street festivals. Burn out the stale memories with your brilliant sunshine. Come on, Chicago, give me something, give me someone. Give me a reason to stay.
Joy and Tourism
10 years ago
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