Right now, as I wait for Monster to get home so we can go out to dinner, I am hungrily watching No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain on The Food Network. In this episode, Bourdain is in Chicago sampling the chili dogs, smoked fish & deep-dish pizza that are ubiquitously Chicago. And, oh my god! My love of Chicago came rushing back to me in a whoosh!
I was born in Chicago but left when I was a baby. Later, I lived there when I was nineteen, in Hyde Park. Recently, I found out that I had very famous neighbors--the current President & First Lady! And Chicago was glorious for me! There was Taste of Chicago, a food fair, there were boat rides off Lakeshore Drive & The University of Chicago was not far away. But the food--the food--was amazing. Chicago has a big Mexican population & there were plenty of places where you could get authentic Mexican food & Tex-Mex served cheap & delicious. There were plenty of innovative hot dog stands & frozen bananas. I wasn't into fine dining at that point, I just wanted something hot, quick & delicious & boy, did Chicago deliver.
One night, when coming out of a Mexican restaurant downtown, I glanced up at the big, brightly-lit high rises around me & was awash in pure happiness. I felt at home in this exciting place, surrounded by friends who were like family to me. What I didn't know was that the moment was fleeting. I would love to go back to Chicago, but I know it would now be a different place. The people I loved there have moved away. Some of them have passed away & I think of them often. I can never really go back.
But in that moment in early 1994 in downtown Chicago, I felt a surge of happiness & peace that has stayed with me for...sixteen years. And that is worth it all.
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