Different Worlds

I have never seen so many Toyota Priuses in one place in my life! That being said, I haven't seen much of anything which reminds me of Chicago here in Seattle.

     For the record, I don't go out of my way to find Chicago when I'm on vacation. Lol. I recommend to my fellow Chicagoans to get away from home a few times a year, a break or a getaway. We are so used to our existence there that we lose sight of the fact that our stories are not typical of the rest of America.

     I listened to a parent bemoaning the fact that one of their kids had Little League whilst another had a Science Camp to attend. Really bruh? Those are things that a lot of Chicagoans would love to complain about.

      I read the newspaper here and my mind instantly juxtaposed the newspaper with the Sun-Times or Tribune. The Seattle newspaper discussed the new e-bikes for rental, the medicinal marijuana policies of neighboring Oregon, the incoming freshman class at the University of Washington, and the opening of new bike trails. I felt like I was in an alternative universe because there weren't murders mentioned at all. We've become so jaded,  so apathetic to the everyday tragedies, that we don't recognize that it's atypical. 

      I visited a marijuana diapensary (merely for research!), and we discussed how the taxes from these places are being used for the schools and higher salaries for teachers. Wow. Meanwhile, Cook County is laying off employees due to lack of funds, CPS is underfunded, and teachers are driving for Uber to get by...

     Wake up. There's a better way. It just needs to be embraced. Change is good, and I wouldn't mind not seeing murders or urban tragedies on a daily basis. It could be better...