The Chicago Chronicles I: "Winter Night"

          The Bulls were 14 and 3 in the early stages of a lockout shortened season. It was their best start since Michael and those great teams of the 90's taught the City of Chicago how to fly. On this particular night, the Bulls would win handily. Years down the road, however, I'll remember it for moments before the game rather than the game itself.

          Trudging through the CO2 saturated slush, Mitch, Javier, and I made our way down Madison Street towards the Billy Goat Tavern. We had about an hour to kill before the Bulls tipped off and decided that the soggy shoes and cold feet would be well worth the opportunity to put some food into our systems before heading into the United Center. The salivating smell only a good burger joint can emit enticed all of us as we crossed the final intersection of our trek. We entered to a packed eating area and crowded bar. A time-hardened worker behind the counter was relaying orders to his comrades who manned the crackling, stainless steel grill. From under the shadow of a ball cap, he greeted us with an unshakeable grin that had emerged through a mask of dark scruff.

          With every order, the man behind the counter enlightened both the workers at the grill and the rest of the establishment that another customer had ordered a Cheezborger, Cheezborger, Cheezborger. He didn't so much ask you what you wanted; he told you. Two words were all it took.

          “Double Cheez?” he questioned.

          “Sure...,” Mitch replied.

          “DOUBLE CHEEEEEZ,” he bellowed for all to hear this time.

He was catching his stride.

          “Double Cheez?” he asked Javier.

          “Uhh, yeah, with fries.”

          “DOUBLE CHEEEEEZ,” once again echoed throughout the bar.

He was a man possessed.

          “Double Cheez,” I nodded.

          “DOUUUUBLE CHEEEEEEEEEZ,” he added extra authority.

          After paying the woman at the end of the register and pouring toppings on our burgers, I volunteered to grab the first round. I returned from the bar to find that Mitch and Javier were standing at the counter. All the seats had been claimed by other Bulls fans. The man working the counter, now just feet away, continued repeating customer's orders at the top of his lungs like a parrot on steroids.

          “DOUBLE CHEEEEEZ... DOUBLE CHEEEEEZ,”

He seemed to bark and chirp at the same time.

          Tipping back Coronas and Coors Light, we instantly became part of the atmosphere. Like everyone else in the tavern, the Bulls grasped our focus. We began to churn out thoughts on all the hot topics pertaining to the city's hottest team. We discussed the impact of recent injuries and score predictions, but, somehow, comments on snowfall, burger quality, and girls we currently were and weren't interested in wove their way into the conversation. The vast majority of all Chicago barroom conversation amongst groups of 20-some-year old males falls into those very four categories: sports, greasy food, weather, and women.

          “DOUBLE CHEEEEEZ... DOUBLE CHEEEEEZ,”

He filled the gaps in our debates. He had a thick Mexican accent. When he had a moment he turned to us and proved the fact that he was capable of using an “inside voice”.

          “Hey, how are you guys?” he asked us.

          The line at the counter shortened as game time approached, which gave us the opportunity to get to know the man behind the counter beyond his booming war cry. We polished off beers and he rattled off orders for the next fifteen minutes, all the while joking back and forth and making small talk. I consider the interaction we shared with him to be of the highest quality. I will spare the details of the conversation, but it probably would have sounded something like this to the casual observer:

          “Sports,”... “Greasy Food,”.... “Women,”... “Sports,”... “DOUBLE CHEEEEEZ,”...   “Weather,”... “Women,”.... “DOUBLE CHEEEEEZ,”.... “Greasy Food,”... “Women,”... “Sports.”***

***(note: we obviously managed to touch on all four categories)

          At it's surface, I must admit; it lacked depth. But, it was one of those rare authentic interactions with a complete stranger that our smart phones and iPods continually deny us. It's situations like the one on this winter night that one realizes that the city is overflowing with interesting people worth learning about and sharing your thoughts and time with.

          After exchanging goodbyes with our new friend, we were on our way. We zipped our coats and braced ourselves as we walked out the door and exposed ourselves once again to the harsh Chicago winter. He could still be heard shouting orders as we crossed the intersection, but his voice quickly dwindled in competition with the sounds of the street. The rush of the wind and travel of cars over moist pavement filled our eardrums. The scents of beer and burger soon surrendered to those of exhaust fumes and the only “DOUBLE CHEEEEEZ” we heard were the ones that continued to echo within our heads.

Where I'm Coming From

I have realized that the best way for anyone to grasp my past experience with writing would be to read some of what I have already written.  I have a stack of over 50 papers I wrote in college and a hard drive with even more documents dating back to high school.  From time to time I grab a couple essays and reread them in order to revisit where I once was ideologically and stylistically.  To kick off this blog, I have compiled a few passages from these papers in an effort to showcase some of the subject matter which I have already dedicated a significant amount time studying and writing about.  Instead of telling you my background and interests, I will allow you to draw your own conclusions.  It is my hope that this exercise will orient you, my reader, to where I am coming from.  

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"“Dare to Know!” was the famous challenge Kant made to the human race." 

--- from "Burkean Conservatism", September 2008

"Freedom is a very vague concept... it is hard to generalize the common man's idea of what freedom truly is.  One's vision of liberty depends on countless circumstances that make each and every opinion unique.  A person's background, ambitions, upbringing, and personal experiences all shape his or her vision.  It is typical for historians and the common student to generalize notions of freedom."

--- from "Freedom is Not Free", October 2007

"I argue that military coups were a frequent occurrence in post-colonial Africa due to the lasting impacts of colonial legacies.  The political instability and weak economic performance of the early African states can be partly attributed to decades of unwanted, repressive rule that they endured.  These young states were left unprepared for independent rule and vulnerable to further military intervention."

--- from "Military Coups in Africa", December 2009

"[Friedrich Nietzsche] was proof of his own theory that geniuses are not born, they are made.  [The realization of this possibility empowered] generation upon generation to engage in their own intellectual dialectic between their academic and creative selves.  It is here that the European intellectual tradition made a transition from early incomplete thinkers to a wholeness [displayed by Nietzsche]."

--- from “Nietzsche: Early Years and Development”, November 2008

"If there is one thing that I have learned, it is this: college, like all aspects of life, is a learning experience.  It is important to try new things, meet new people, and consider new opinions.  By opening myself up to new horizons, I have broken away from some of the qualities I use to value and strengthened others."

--- from "Lessons Learned and Grades Earned", April 2008

"Unlike more outwardly exploitative colonial practices, colonial education required a certain level of complicity with the native population. Due to this compliance, the divisive effects and hierarchies associated with colonial education in Nigeria were much more difficult to eliminate in the post colonial era. Education was a unique colonial practice in a sense that it was the root of many internal hierarchies that would come to characterize post-colonial Nigeria."

--- from "Education in Colonial Nigeria: The Divisive Effects of an Imperial School Culture", May 2011

"The history of discovery is comprised of narratives and experiences that initiated transformation in many societies.  The expeditions of Christopher Columbus and James Cook displayed how two drastically different worlds could converge in an explosive and transforming experience.  Upon deeper reflection, the tremendous effects of travel are often felt at a more intimate level and incite personal growth."

--- from "Eat, Pray, Love: Bernard Walsh's Personal Growth in Paradise News", May 2011

"How it is difficult to confide in one who cannot realize the journey they travel, and how peculiar that our seemingly differing journeys are paths all so similar.  I often wonder whether I am the only one who can see the stars, moon, and sky."

--- from "Midnight Stroll (in the style of John Barth)", November 2007

"We initially defined [the sociological imagination] as one's "ability to see the connection between personal struggles and social structures".  While I agree with the way the textbook defines the sociological imagination, I have come to believe that for one to truly exercise this tool, it isn't enough to simply "see" the connection between self and society.  Instead, I argue that one must reflect on this connection and internalize the complexity that characterizes relationships between the self, others, and society at large... My values and beliefs are always changing as I become increasingly cognizant of how I fit into the larger scheme of society.  My story is one of socialization."

--- from "The Sociological Imagination", May 2011

Today, I Consider Myself a Writer

          I have always admired writers.  Their ability to provide structure to the thoughts that chaotically zip through their heads fascinates me.  This ability is enhanced greatly by the courage they possess to present these thoughts to strangers, and, even more so, friends.  While I enjoy a good film, concert, and even the occasional painting or play, I have found that I connect more intimately with the author than the director, musician, or artist.  Writing, in my perception, offers readers an accessibility that transcends the physical nature of these other mediums.  Using merely text, writers manage to convey the simplest of thoughts to their readers, while simultaneously offering insights into the most elusive depths of their cognizance.  Further, while deeply personal, a great read can be strangely conversational in the way it allows writers to interact with their readers.  Good writing stimulates the imagination of the casual observer in a way that rivals the most beautiful of paintings and the most impressive of performances.

          With this being said, I have always neglected my own creative side for one reason or another.  I hope to use this blog to develop the skills and demonstrate the growth that I know will be necessary to determine the role of writing in my future.  As I progress, I intend to explore various styles and mediums.  Readers can expect posts attempting various forms of writing, including anything from well researched non-fiction to raw, unstructured philosophical ramblings and creative writing.

          Armed with a pen, paper, and laptop, I intend to find out what I'm really made of.  This is my way to determine whether my experience in life to this point has been great enough to produce written works of substance with the capacity to stimulate the thoughts of others.  Whether this experiment in writing becomes just one more failed hobby or opens the door to a rewarding profession, I can only speculate.  Today, however, is the first day I consider myself a writer; and if I can provide you an ounce of the enjoyment and inspiration that other writers have provided me, I will consider myself a successful one at that.