Rainy Day Freedom
nan turpin photographs
We are Tasting Chicago for a few days and today it’s a taste of daytime rain.
Like Camelot, Chicago seems to do its best raining at night, when so many of us are doing our important work of watching television. Today is Saturday-always a treat- and it’s raining. We have street fairs and festivals going on all over town, outdoor concerts ditto, all the things that covered all our calendars for today and tomorrow and every day.
We are tired, desperate for an excuse to do nothing and here it is, the gift of a rainy Saturday. Chicago can rest. Do we remember how? And, even scarier, is that the sun trying to come out?
This reporter has lived in small provincial towns where not much happened that was visible to the naked eye. Calendars stayed clear and footsteps echoed on the side streets. On a rainy day we remember those times and places with kindness. Not so bad for a while. A chance to have a quiet thought; read a little further; write to a friend. A little time to wonder what we’d do next.
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