Wild Cows and Candy Lipsticks

I was born in Chicago. When I was little I thought farms were a dying lot and that cows lived in zoos, ‘cept the wild ones of course. Those are the ones out in the fields that were so poetical looking that they got put into paintings. I thought the whole country was as densely populated as my city. (And I will admit this only to you…at an age frighteningly close to the one I am now, I realized that most of the country is actually …ahem…more rural in nature.) All my real friends know this- that as a kid, I used to complain about the lack of field trip options in Chicago. (yawn) Ok Field Museum again.(sigh) Brookfield Zoo? Again? OK If we have to- Science & Industry. Honestly! Concerts at the Bandshell in Grant Park! Ho-Hum! Isn’t there something more to do in this town??!!

Then I took my first road trip to a place my Grandpa called: ‘the sticks.’ Our little family ventured 35 actual miles out of the city! We all learned about eating fast food and throwing up, chewing Doublemint gum (because Dad thought it would prevent throwing up) and throwing up. We also learned ( my sister and I ) that moving to a different place, however nice, does not necessarily make one happier! In fact , sometimes the old place is way better even with all it’s problems. We hated (HATED) the suburbs! Rude awakening there! The term ‘nothing to do’ was reborn! We wanted our city back! Where all the Christmas lights were colored; Where the trees sent little bean pods flying and covered the sidewalks! The trees, by the way, in the city had actual trunks! Where the rubberband factory left little disks in their garbage and the kids would go fish them out and fly them from one side of the street to the other on the way to school; The city where the phone men left little snips of colored wires in the alleys,(we’d twist them together and make rings out of them) and the bullies would drown kittens in plastic bags and fling them (that was NOT a good memory!)There was Matina’s candy store where we’d buy candy lipsticks and cigarettes (candy ones Peter!) for very small change before school and then run like mad to get there on time; The city... where gym was on the 3rd floor and we actually spent long minutes twirling our fingers! And Grandma! Grandma lived there! Her apartment had mingled the glorious smells of moth balls and Pine-Sol always wafting like a Scent-Stories! We’d walk 7 blocks on Saturdays to Woolworth’s to get a grilled cheese and chocolate milk! Now that was livin’! I mean- what could be better than all that?!

But there were things that we coudn't see...like the little red pills being passed around in our elementary school, and growing gang-crime in our own neighborhood. We heard some guy smashed Grandpa's windshield with a baseball bat. Who told us that? um...Yes! It was Grandpa. He watched the guy do it-...from INSIDE THE CAR!! (And this is the rest of the story!) My parents worked very hard to get us out of there to protect us from the stuff we couldn’t see. My Mom was pregnant and worked midnights to save up the downpayment money to buy that house in the sticks. And as I recall my Dad had
2 jobs! So actually, if I had to choose, I think I'd rather be bored in the suburbs and safe- then, say, dead and formerly comfortable in my ignorance! Besides, I learned so much in the suburbs- like how sweet the smell of new lumber can be, and how to seriously decorate a house; how to make a bricked foyer and what it means to be there and watch (as My dad worked tirelessly and perfectly to produce several beautiful houses!). I learned how to build a gigantic flowerbox out of railroad ties and that I LOVE Russian Olive trees. You know, when I think about it- living in the suburbs, in all its monotony and boredom, probably helped me to be a more contented stay-at-home Mom too; But more than anything else, I think I learned to trust my creative instincts, and to not give up on finding the perfect shade of green! (We'll just be staying away from the avacado!)

Thanks Mom & Dad!
For all the experiences!
(My favorite was seeing wild cows for the first time!)
I love you!
Linda