Early one evening (January 11th, 2010) I was meeting a friend at Union Station (train station) in downtown Chicago, Illinois. His train arrived at 7:24pm and we were speaking to each other over our mobile phones trying to locate one another.
We couldn’t find each other in the vast expanses of the station and we were both standing at an escalator…he at the top of one, and me at the bottom of one.
I traveled up the escalator, but he wasn’t there; wrong escalator, but a 2-3 year old girl was, and she was screaming. She was stuck in the escalator. No one was able to help her, but I jumped over her and her mother and a man trying to get her out and I found a red button, pushed it and stopped the escalator.
I then went for help. I found my friend not long after that at a different escalator and I thought…G-d wanted me at that escalator to stop it, and I did.
I remember that I felt very confused. I couldn't seem to find my friend. I kept going in circles. I think G-d confused me on purpose so I would go up the wrong escalator and find the girl.
The mother was praying for a button. I found it and pushed it. I feel really awsome that G-d allowed me to do this; to allow me to be the one to help a family in distress.
Showing posts with label Chicago. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chicago. Show all posts
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Fooling Oneself Into Love...
http://www.secretasylum.com/ has a new sub-forum under the Group Therapy: Member Hosted Forums Catagory titled:
Love/Hate: Standing along the high electrified fence, you kneel down and pick a dandelion and start to pull off it's petals: they love me? They hate me? They love me? They hate me? Geez...if only you knew how your multiple personalities REALLY felt about you!
I posted its first post "Fooling Oneself Into Love." I decided to blog it as it may help those individuals having trouble with love after realizing their significant other isn't what they presumed them to be! Read on...
At the time that I'm writing this post, I'm 35 years old, and I've fallen in love more times than the number of women I've dated. Yes it sounds odd, but it's true.
I'm one of those oddities that can fall in love with a beauty as she walks toward me, and my heart will break as she walks on bye. You're probably smirking a little and correcting me by thinking, or mumbling through pursed lips "That's nothing more than attraction."
I'm familiar with the laws of attraction and that isn't what I'm referring to. I literally fall in love at the batting of a femmes eyes. It's not a beneficial characteristic; it's a curse. I'm fortunate enough to be engaged at the moment thus avoiding the roller coaster ride my romantic life takes when single.
With that said, let's get to the cream filling in this Twinkie... I think it's safe to assume that at one point or another all of us have projected our wishful desires unto the face of another. We meet someone; date them; ignore their flaws; and begin to view them as the romantic partner we're looking and hoping for instead of the romantic partner they're capable of.
I'm notorious for this. I meet a woman and imagine she will laugh at all my jokes (and she will at first); we will have endless conversations together (and we do...for the first month, then the conversation becomes one sided and dominated by her, leaving me to nod in compliance, grunting "uh huh" every few seconds, and day dreaming about giant asteroids hurdling toward the Earth); and she isn't a head case (until a few months pass, her drinking problem surfaces, and she insists on therapy where I'll learn everything is my fault, including her drug and alcohol dependency that started 10 years before I even met her).
Thank God I don't have to deal with that now. I am happy in love, and I have a solid partner. But... I have been through this in the past, and so have many others. Why do we project false images on people we date? Don't we realize the folly and the inevitable collapse that awaits us?
I know this one guy...
He went through a period of solitary after a break-up in 2007 with his significant other who was also his 2nd baby’s mama.
Months of depression living alone in his apartment led him to seek a new lover. His first night out...he saw her, errr…will explain this part later, read on.
Standing on a busy street corner on Chicago’s North Side, was a chocolate princess: curves in all the right places; good black girl hair; and was dressed for the club... an Amish club if such a place existed. She was dressed appropriately for the weather, but had an attractive wardrobe; not too flashy; with a turtleneck.
He watched her from the window of a local greasy spoon restaurant. (I'd like to add that our friend here has a creepy serial killer look about him. In reality, he's a really good dude, but he's just genetically creepy. Not ugly by any means, just creepy) He had a friend accompanying him who talked our guy into approaching the beauty and after a few stabs at our guys ego, he caved in and walked across the street to go "get him some a that!"
His heart was pounding, nerves where electrified, and you could tell he was rehearsing his introduction with each foot step. Just under a yard from her, they locked eyes; he smiled; she looked terrified...and literally turned around and ran away.
I sh-t you not. She ran like a horde of zombies were coming after her. To make things worse, there were others at that corner with her (they were outside in front of a club) and it was blatantly obvious that he was approaching her in an attempt to romance her up. He froze and everyone’s eyebrows rose with eyes widening in their sockets; uncomfortably and anxiously grinning, they stared him down. He just stood there.
His friend came to the rescue and literally pulled him away from the scene (laughing hysterically) and they went on a pub crawl. In the wee hours of the morning, inebriated, and jovial, the pair of lush buddies found their way back to the same greasy spoon to sober up on sh-tty coffee and nachos.
Still buzzing, they ventured into the night and there she was again. This time she just stared at him with a curiosity in her eyes. He took a deep breath, raised his arms and exposed his palms and said "Hi" with a humiliated "you just made me look like a f-ckin moron" chuckle.
You could tell she was pleased when her full red lips twisted into a seductive and amused smile, and had a hesitant yet curious twinkle in her eyes.
He approached her and after a short introduction (and disclaimer that he wasn't trying to tie her up and eat her later) the flawless flirtation began. It was so successful that his wingman strolled off and soon after…her laughter drown out anyone’s hope of ease dropping. Until the big laugh!
I'm not sure what caused it... all I know is that he our guys humor was in its prime form and she couldn't restrain her responses any longer (side note: her laugh was loud but controlled and sweet, almost too sweet) and she lifted her head to the sky, protected her stomach with an open hand and laughed loud, hearty, and deep; very deep; extremely deep; too deep for a female.
And all that had eyes could see our guys smile fade, and his eyebrows flatten as a look of bewilderment and intrigue took control of his face. It wasn't so much the laugh as we've all heard the female octaves drop from soprano to baritone -add anger. It was what he saw...on her neck...where an Adams apple shouldn't be!
Immediately becoming uncomfortable he went straight for the kill (not literally, but figuratively) and asked "di-ahhh-did, ummm...do you have, uhhh...are you a guy?"
Now...before we continue, let's review. Man sees girl at a distance. Man approaches girl; girl flees. Man gets drunk almost to the point of poisoning and sees girl again. Man approaches girl...in the dark....while senses are hampered by alcohol...and as he speaks with girl, he begins to sober. Girl has an Adams apple.
Okay... so after he asked her about her sex, “Are you a guy?”and she says "No, but I use to be," one of her hands is now supporting her, ummm... his, ummm....their lower back and the other is waving their index finger in the air "hold up" she says with a sass "why you tripping for? What you doin here if you aint into this?"
This is when our guy realizes his wingman is across the street laughing. He also realizes that's it's been some years since he was in this part of town, then he realizes that the thumping club she’s been standing in front of is "Berlin," Chicago’s gay and transvestite club (imagine the Rocky Horror Picture Show on steroids).
He explains that he's not gay and that she is the most beautiful dude he's ever seen (he obviously didn't know what else to say since he didn't have his copy of "Homo Etiquette For Dummies" handy) and he looked as if he was puckering his butt cheeks so much he'd fart out of his mouth…because everything he had just said was pretty much sh-t!
After making peace with her/him after offending her/him unintentionally, He then asks why she/he ran from him in the first place. She/He said matter-of-factly "I thought use was a cop. You look like da police, and I ain't standing here just to looking pretty...hunnn…you got money?" He stepped back with hands up in the air, palms facing her, frantically nodding a refusal and stuttering “I-I’m ahhh..I’m not gay! She/He laughed it off, turned around and shook her/his rump as she/he walked away. She/He was a prostidude.
The moral to this story...know where all the gay bars are and avoid talking to anyone standing in front of it unless you're into that sort of thing.
Oh wait a second... That's not why I posted this. The real moral here is projecting your wants on another human being without acknowledging and excepting the reality of who they are (in this case a gay guy hooker who had a sex change into a tranny) will lead you down the road to no-no-ville.
Love/Hate: Standing along the high electrified fence, you kneel down and pick a dandelion and start to pull off it's petals: they love me? They hate me? They love me? They hate me? Geez...if only you knew how your multiple personalities REALLY felt about you!
I posted its first post "Fooling Oneself Into Love." I decided to blog it as it may help those individuals having trouble with love after realizing their significant other isn't what they presumed them to be! Read on...
At the time that I'm writing this post, I'm 35 years old, and I've fallen in love more times than the number of women I've dated. Yes it sounds odd, but it's true.
I'm one of those oddities that can fall in love with a beauty as she walks toward me, and my heart will break as she walks on bye. You're probably smirking a little and correcting me by thinking, or mumbling through pursed lips "That's nothing more than attraction."
I'm familiar with the laws of attraction and that isn't what I'm referring to. I literally fall in love at the batting of a femmes eyes. It's not a beneficial characteristic; it's a curse. I'm fortunate enough to be engaged at the moment thus avoiding the roller coaster ride my romantic life takes when single.
With that said, let's get to the cream filling in this Twinkie... I think it's safe to assume that at one point or another all of us have projected our wishful desires unto the face of another. We meet someone; date them; ignore their flaws; and begin to view them as the romantic partner we're looking and hoping for instead of the romantic partner they're capable of.
I'm notorious for this. I meet a woman and imagine she will laugh at all my jokes (and she will at first); we will have endless conversations together (and we do...for the first month, then the conversation becomes one sided and dominated by her, leaving me to nod in compliance, grunting "uh huh" every few seconds, and day dreaming about giant asteroids hurdling toward the Earth); and she isn't a head case (until a few months pass, her drinking problem surfaces, and she insists on therapy where I'll learn everything is my fault, including her drug and alcohol dependency that started 10 years before I even met her).
Thank God I don't have to deal with that now. I am happy in love, and I have a solid partner. But... I have been through this in the past, and so have many others. Why do we project false images on people we date? Don't we realize the folly and the inevitable collapse that awaits us?
I know this one guy...
He went through a period of solitary after a break-up in 2007 with his significant other who was also his 2nd baby’s mama.
Months of depression living alone in his apartment led him to seek a new lover. His first night out...he saw her, errr…will explain this part later, read on.
Standing on a busy street corner on Chicago’s North Side, was a chocolate princess: curves in all the right places; good black girl hair; and was dressed for the club... an Amish club if such a place existed. She was dressed appropriately for the weather, but had an attractive wardrobe; not too flashy; with a turtleneck.
He watched her from the window of a local greasy spoon restaurant. (I'd like to add that our friend here has a creepy serial killer look about him. In reality, he's a really good dude, but he's just genetically creepy. Not ugly by any means, just creepy) He had a friend accompanying him who talked our guy into approaching the beauty and after a few stabs at our guys ego, he caved in and walked across the street to go "get him some a that!"
His heart was pounding, nerves where electrified, and you could tell he was rehearsing his introduction with each foot step. Just under a yard from her, they locked eyes; he smiled; she looked terrified...and literally turned around and ran away.
I sh-t you not. She ran like a horde of zombies were coming after her. To make things worse, there were others at that corner with her (they were outside in front of a club) and it was blatantly obvious that he was approaching her in an attempt to romance her up. He froze and everyone’s eyebrows rose with eyes widening in their sockets; uncomfortably and anxiously grinning, they stared him down. He just stood there.
His friend came to the rescue and literally pulled him away from the scene (laughing hysterically) and they went on a pub crawl. In the wee hours of the morning, inebriated, and jovial, the pair of lush buddies found their way back to the same greasy spoon to sober up on sh-tty coffee and nachos.
Still buzzing, they ventured into the night and there she was again. This time she just stared at him with a curiosity in her eyes. He took a deep breath, raised his arms and exposed his palms and said "Hi" with a humiliated "you just made me look like a f-ckin moron" chuckle.
You could tell she was pleased when her full red lips twisted into a seductive and amused smile, and had a hesitant yet curious twinkle in her eyes.
He approached her and after a short introduction (and disclaimer that he wasn't trying to tie her up and eat her later) the flawless flirtation began. It was so successful that his wingman strolled off and soon after…her laughter drown out anyone’s hope of ease dropping. Until the big laugh!
I'm not sure what caused it... all I know is that he our guys humor was in its prime form and she couldn't restrain her responses any longer (side note: her laugh was loud but controlled and sweet, almost too sweet) and she lifted her head to the sky, protected her stomach with an open hand and laughed loud, hearty, and deep; very deep; extremely deep; too deep for a female.
And all that had eyes could see our guys smile fade, and his eyebrows flatten as a look of bewilderment and intrigue took control of his face. It wasn't so much the laugh as we've all heard the female octaves drop from soprano to baritone -add anger. It was what he saw...on her neck...where an Adams apple shouldn't be!
Immediately becoming uncomfortable he went straight for the kill (not literally, but figuratively) and asked "di-ahhh-did, ummm...do you have, uhhh...are you a guy?"
Now...before we continue, let's review. Man sees girl at a distance. Man approaches girl; girl flees. Man gets drunk almost to the point of poisoning and sees girl again. Man approaches girl...in the dark....while senses are hampered by alcohol...and as he speaks with girl, he begins to sober. Girl has an Adams apple.
Okay... so after he asked her about her sex, “Are you a guy?”and she says "No, but I use to be," one of her hands is now supporting her, ummm... his, ummm....their lower back and the other is waving their index finger in the air "hold up" she says with a sass "why you tripping for? What you doin here if you aint into this?"
This is when our guy realizes his wingman is across the street laughing. He also realizes that's it's been some years since he was in this part of town, then he realizes that the thumping club she’s been standing in front of is "Berlin," Chicago’s gay and transvestite club (imagine the Rocky Horror Picture Show on steroids).
He explains that he's not gay and that she is the most beautiful dude he's ever seen (he obviously didn't know what else to say since he didn't have his copy of "Homo Etiquette For Dummies" handy) and he looked as if he was puckering his butt cheeks so much he'd fart out of his mouth…because everything he had just said was pretty much sh-t!
After making peace with her/him after offending her/him unintentionally, He then asks why she/he ran from him in the first place. She/He said matter-of-factly "I thought use was a cop. You look like da police, and I ain't standing here just to looking pretty...hunnn…you got money?" He stepped back with hands up in the air, palms facing her, frantically nodding a refusal and stuttering “I-I’m ahhh..I’m not gay! She/He laughed it off, turned around and shook her/his rump as she/he walked away. She/He was a prostidude.
The moral to this story...know where all the gay bars are and avoid talking to anyone standing in front of it unless you're into that sort of thing.
Oh wait a second... That's not why I posted this. The real moral here is projecting your wants on another human being without acknowledging and excepting the reality of who they are (in this case a gay guy hooker who had a sex change into a tranny) will lead you down the road to no-no-ville.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Fourth of July in Sweet Home...
My family and I celebrated Uncle Sam's birthday on July 3rd at Grant Park in Chicago, Illinois. We spent the afternoon gorging ourselves at the Taste of Chicago and then threw a blanket on the grass along Lake Shore Drive right in front of Buckingham Fountain. Seated with a sea of an estimated 1 million spectators, we relaxed and enjoyed the show, and only one (1) person was carted off in an ambulance this year (that we witnessed)! Not bad considering last years mayhem... .JPG)
A snapshot we took of the fireworks 2009
Last year we reclined inside of Butler Field in front of the Petrillo Music Shell to watch the fireworks show. Just as the grand finale kicked into full gear, a massive crowd started running along the fence line. I was able to catch the following image of the runners...
Marathon Chicago Style, "everyone run there's a gun!"Okay... let's not be harsh. I'm not a photographer! We didn't even know why they were running until the news reported the disturbance during our drive home. Turns out there was a gunfight, and everyone fled. The point here is even though C.P.D. was in riot gear with helicopters, spotlights, watch towers, and perimeter fencing after this past incident...we still had a good time.
.JPG)
The annoying glowing stripes are part of the barrier erected at this years event. Giant Turkey Legs smothered in BBQ sauce, Jerk Chicken and Rice, Chicago Deep Dish Pizza, Catfish Nuggets, Over-Priced Soda, Sweaty Crowds of Fat Gnarly People, then on to a Littered Over-Crowded Park, full of those same Sweaty Fat Gnarly People...who are now too Over-Stuffed, and hopped up on Ant-Acids to move from the craters they're forcing into the grass, Cops marching like Storm Troopers with massive explosions blazoned across the sky. I love my Chicago!
[DISCLAIMER: SC IS ONLY JOKING ABOUT THE SWEATY FAT GNARLY PEOPLE ATTENDING THE FESTIVITIES. HE WOULD NEVER THINK TO PRINT SOMETHING OFFENSIVE OR DEROGATORY ABOUT ANYONE. EVERYONE WAS BEAUTIFUL, DRY, AND THEY HAD PERFECT BODIES. IT WAS THE INSUFFICIENT LIGHTING FROM THE SUN THAT CAUSED THERE PERFECTLY CHISELED PHYSIQUES TO DISTORT AND SLOTH IN APPEARANCE AND THE MOISTURE IN THE AIR COLLECTED ON THE SHIRTS ALONG THE CHEST AREA AND UNDER THEIR ARM PITS...MAKING IT APPEAR AS IF THEY WERE SWEATING NIAGRA FALLS AND IT WAS THE CITY SEWER STINKING AND NOT THEM, OH NO... EVERYBODY WAS A F----N RUNWAY MODEL!]
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Fathers Day, Tattoos, and George Clinton in 2009!
Happy Fathers Day! President Calvin Coolidge nationalized the third Sunday in June to be celebrated annually as Fathers Day in 1924. A conspiracy theory has been floating around accusing the U.S. government of designating said holiday to appease lobbyists in the tie and cologne industry...CLICK HERE FOR SOURCE!
Amber and our sons took me to the Chicago Tattoo Convention at Navy Pier hosted by the Body Art Expo. We had a good time and met some talented artists. If you're planning to attend a tattoo convention, show up early! This place was packed and every booth was booked until closing.
The night before I attended the Fathers Day Funk Festival at Chicagos Arie Crown Theater with Ambers best friends father Lonnie. George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelics "Mothership" headlined, with guests the Ohio Players featuring Sugarfoot, the Bar-Kays, Con Funk Shun, the Dazz Band and Slave.
If you haven't listened to 70's funk you've done yourself a great injustice! Funk tweaked modern punk and alternative rock, least I forget what it did for Hip Hop. George Clinton is not only the king of funk, he's the shovel that built the foundation of today's pop and hip hop cultures.
R.I.P. Michael Jackson (1958-2009). Aside from the controversy surrounding him (he was never convicted) he was an icon, a hero, and an inspiration to musician's everywhere. He also grew up not far from me, and he's thought of fondly all over Gary, Indiana and Chicago land.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Chicago Blues Festival 2009
Spent Saturday June 13th in Grant Park for the Chicago Blues Festival. If you've never attended...it's worth the pilgrimage! Gibson Guitars had a show-trailer stocked with it's gems and a stage to showcase the talent. Below, my oldest son and I post next to the Legendary Mississippi Blues Bus.
This years Blues Fest was dedicated to Koko Taylor (1928-2009)
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