R
rdean
Guest
I just retired a few weeks ago. I live right across the street from Wrigley Field. Right now, Billy Joel is practicing for tonight's concert. People go sit on their front porches and listen to the show. Amazing how they set up the sound. He's singing and the band is playing and suddenly he says, wait, right there, there is a dead spot, and raise the base on the piano. It sounds like a toy.
A lot of young people live in the neighborhood. Take a $1800 a month three bedroom apartment, split the rent three ways and it's very affordable with a full size dining room, kitchen, living room and back yard.
They bring their friends over, sit on the front porch or back yard and barbecue.
It's nice hearing the sounds of people cheerfully talking and laughing and having a good time on three sides of my back yard. Of course, it's very diverse around here. And when you walk around people nearly always say hi or good morning. The guys hold the door open for the ladies at the coffee shop or one of the little food places all around the neighborhood.
I live in a building with three other retirees. One has cancer and probably only has a couple of months to live. He's in his 80's and is actually very lucky. His mom, sister and family members visit. Yea, mom. She's 103. He is very religious so he isn't afraid of dying at all. Of course he doesn't want to die, but he's excited he's going to meet Jesus. That's one of those things about religion I never thought about and was surprised to learn. Even though I have no religious beliefs, I have no problem with someone who does. Unless they try to shove it into my face. Or try to force their beliefs on me. Which he doesn't and never has.
One of the other retirees is black. I have gone to visit relatives all over Chicago since this person has 11 brothers and sisters and the mom had 12. I went to a wedding that was in an enormous banquet room seating hundreds and it was almost full. Some of the relatives live in all black neighborhoods, some in mixed. I never felt threatened in any of them. Of course there are bad places in Chicago. But it's not like it's half the city.
There are street fairs nearly every weekend all during the Spring, Fall and Summer. A couple of weeks ago, one had little blow up trampolines for the kids. With games and cooking. People in the neighborhood getting to know each other.
Weekend before last, there was an art fair down a different street. A really good one with absolutely amazing Art. Americans are so talented.
Last weekend (I think it was last weekend. Time runs different when you aren't ruled by an alarm clock.) was an air show right over my house with jets and all the noise. A lot of people don't like it, but I do. I love the US military. It's so hi tech.
So when these people go on about how dangerous Chicago is and how bad all the blacks are, I have only one word for them. "Deliverance". oink oink
A lot of young people live in the neighborhood. Take a $1800 a month three bedroom apartment, split the rent three ways and it's very affordable with a full size dining room, kitchen, living room and back yard.
They bring their friends over, sit on the front porch or back yard and barbecue.
It's nice hearing the sounds of people cheerfully talking and laughing and having a good time on three sides of my back yard. Of course, it's very diverse around here. And when you walk around people nearly always say hi or good morning. The guys hold the door open for the ladies at the coffee shop or one of the little food places all around the neighborhood.
I live in a building with three other retirees. One has cancer and probably only has a couple of months to live. He's in his 80's and is actually very lucky. His mom, sister and family members visit. Yea, mom. She's 103. He is very religious so he isn't afraid of dying at all. Of course he doesn't want to die, but he's excited he's going to meet Jesus. That's one of those things about religion I never thought about and was surprised to learn. Even though I have no religious beliefs, I have no problem with someone who does. Unless they try to shove it into my face. Or try to force their beliefs on me. Which he doesn't and never has.
One of the other retirees is black. I have gone to visit relatives all over Chicago since this person has 11 brothers and sisters and the mom had 12. I went to a wedding that was in an enormous banquet room seating hundreds and it was almost full. Some of the relatives live in all black neighborhoods, some in mixed. I never felt threatened in any of them. Of course there are bad places in Chicago. But it's not like it's half the city.
There are street fairs nearly every weekend all during the Spring, Fall and Summer. A couple of weeks ago, one had little blow up trampolines for the kids. With games and cooking. People in the neighborhood getting to know each other.
Weekend before last, there was an art fair down a different street. A really good one with absolutely amazing Art. Americans are so talented.
Last weekend (I think it was last weekend. Time runs different when you aren't ruled by an alarm clock.) was an air show right over my house with jets and all the noise. A lot of people don't like it, but I do. I love the US military. It's so hi tech.
So when these people go on about how dangerous Chicago is and how bad all the blacks are, I have only one word for them. "Deliverance". oink oink
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