There And Back Again, A Chicago Workers Tale

Chicago is a really cool place to work, especially when you are right downtown in the center of it all. However getting to and from work is quite a tale of its own. In the six block walk I encounter all sorts of things....

When boarding the train I need to find a place to sit. This has a very 'new kid at lunch' feel to it, because you don't want to sit by anyone, but there are never any open seats. Now, we Yankees aren't too keen on talking to, let alone sitting next to strangers. This is a feat I accomplish every day. Once I've acquired my seat, it's time for some people watching. There are all sorts of characters on the train that you need to watch out for because they are priceless. There is "woman who talks too loudly about personal information"..the woman said that she had a hysterectomy, lupus, and hepatitis C...I moved seats after hearing that conversation.

Next is "looks like a murderer businessman", the guy looks like Mickey Rourke, only not as effed up. He's got a big tattoo down an arm and makes everyone in his crew on the train laugh. They are sitting at the "cool kid" table.

After getting off the train and on my walk to work there are several more characters everyone walks by without even noticing them..

First there is "crazy guy that yells at his reflection", he stands right outside the train station. Next I encounter "guy that sits on a plastic crate with a cane" he sits there every day rain or shine. He has a cane and several copies of the FREE newspaper that, I can only assume, he tries to sell to people. See I don't know for certain because he doesn't talk, he just sits there silently staring at everyone.

When I get out of work I always see "looks like skinny Elvis" guy. I don't usually listen to his ramblings because I have music blasting on my iPod, but I'm sure he's an "end of the world" preacher.

Back at the train I always get stuck with "way too cocky conductor" on the train. He tries to bring style to punching tickets everyday, and impress the ladies I would imagine, by flipping the hole puncher around like a cowboy with his pistol, and making change from the coin holder on his belt with a bartender's grace.

Then I'm back home and ready to do it all again the next day. This journey I make everyday isn't as exciting or deadly as Frodo's or Bilbo's but it sure is entertaining.