Early sunlight filters through the leaves. Young trees planted along urban streets. Maybe five years old or more. Thin foliage to allow ample air movement but still provide welcome shade. Plant life in the city. Flower beds are provided. Well-used by landlords and building owners, especially downtown Chicago. A city garden abloom. It is July. Hot. Wednesday was nearly 100 and high humidity. The view from the ICU room was spectacular. Lake views, deep blue and plenty of water glints. Sail boats far out; horizon blurred by blue sky meeting blue water in a haze of moisture.
Nuances of nature with a backdrop of urban reality. This pastiche of urbanity – colors, movement, shapes, people and things. The city. Art and design, architecture, drama, literature, dance and all the other languages of humankind all taken as one while the city itself lives with real people. Their stories, dramas, languages and actions are the real thing, but together they form an artistic presence.
Thousands of people walk the sidewalks. Not strolling, but purposeful strides to work or appointments or an eatery for a quick bite. Clothing multi-colored. Fewer suits and dresses than yesteryear. More slacks, pant suits, and lots of shorts. Athletic shoes, too. Socks or no socks, footwear is sturdy and comfortable.
Ages are so much more variable today than when I was first introduced to Chicago in 1965. Most people were commuters and more formally attired. Today the youth stand out; I wonder if I did in my early days? I didn’t think so at the time. Millennial explosion here at the moment. Young people going to plentiful jobs. Many are in medical attire (we are near Northwestern Medical Hospital complex). Twenty-four hour population surrounds the hospital complex. But then there must be clinics and support offices of all varieties nearby as well. Private ones, independent of Northwestern.
Michigan Avenue is steps away.
Traffic is more than congested. At times it is standstill in all directions. Reminds me of a visit to Manhattan in 1955. Then I was amazed at the traffic jam of buses, cars, cabs, trucks and emergency vehicles. We watched in fascination as fire trucks and ambulances attempted to get through the bogged mess. Yesterday I witnessed the same at rush hour, buses battling firetrucks and ambulances. Took me back to 1955 in New York.
The whir of machinery – air conditioning, auto traffic, construction crews – is a constant background of sound. It blends seamlessly with punctuated sounds of life up close. Constant sound, all with purpose, making the heartbeat of life in the city.
These are all parts of the whole. Alone or together, they form the pastiche of modern life in the city.
It holds excitement. It contains possibility. It challenges, and yes, browbeats many. Together this environment produces new life and history. It calls forth inovations to carry us forward. Ever unfolding is our story on this planet.
We are not alone. Nor ought we be. May this pastiche speak to us all.
July 12, 2019
No comments:
Post a Comment