Gold On The Inside

My wife tenderly suggested that I take the blogpost I had already worked out in my head, and switch the shit around. By that, as she sits here consuming her Lucky Charms cereal for two, she means, "Make it positive, Biggie." The original post is about how a lot of places are losing their cultural identity since information is a mouse click and/or an imported news stand magazine away. I was going to write about how all of these places are losing their identities by trying to be uber cosmopolitan. And, how even my hometown is losing itself in a race the of market size homogenization. But, I am not going down that path. The fact is, most and nearly all of the people that make up my friends are from far and wide, and have sacrificed certain comforts and security to chase their dreams and follow their path. That's amazing to me. I have friends from different countries, different domestic regions, and a neighbor who is a working actor who fucked off to Africa for three months to do a little soul searching. While I was going to focus on the bland and overwhelming tonight, I now want to focus on the strong and unique. Places and people should be proud of who they are and where they come from. Being clever and doing things out of cleverness make the insecure secure in the fact they have something to talk about at the next party. I am glad I no longer feel the need to fill empty spaces with unformed thoughts. I truly no longer give a shit about what people think about me, or do I feel the need to constantly stay ahead of the curve. Hipsters-either rich kids trying to look poor and edgy, or boring people trying to look interesting. I' m rambling now, leaning towards the negative. So, I'll leave the back of my apartment, and the half window that keeps me abreast to the sounds of the latest turf wars between the local feline gangs. The path to the bedroom that is illuminated by tiny trickles of Sodium based streetlights that reminds me always of the miles of orange lights leading to my arrival gate at Midway when returning home to Chicago. I haven't heard a Police Chopper in a too long this evening, then again, it is a holiday tomorrow. Good night.