Tag Archives: Chicago Cubs

The Joy In Wrigleyville

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Posted by on in Community, Hiking and Nature, Historical, impediments, Social, Travel

July 12, 2019, Chicago-

Being a lifelong Red Sox fan, I nonetheless, being a holistic thinker and inclusive by nature, I also have had a place in my heart for the Chicago Cubs.  I was as happy when they won the World Series, as I was when my Home Team earned their title.

So, when Wrigley Hostel came up, as a place to spend a night in Chicago, I was ecstatic.  As it happened, when Hostelworld bumped my reservation date back to June 12, I didn’t notice.  I got here in mid-afternoon and was lucky that there was a spot available for tonight.  From now  on, I know I need to double check any reservations I make, using an online consortium.

At any rate, Wrigley Hostel, essentially one block east of the stadium, is a large and homey place, with plenty of room for about 60 people.  My spot is in the room right next to the front desk, very close to the kitchen. The group of hostelers is relaxed, inclusive and fun-loving, as should be the case.  The staff, save for one out-of-sorts desk clerk, is caring and friendly.

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The kids went off to events like Taste of Chicago.  I got my own Taste, at Shake Shack, south of here and equally close to Wrigley Field.  There was a goodly crowd on Clark Avenue, as the game had let out, a few minutes earlier.

I feel fortunate to have two good shots of Wrigley.

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After the very filling Chi-burger and mango shake, I took a stroll down to the edge of Lake Michigan.  It’s always a soothing sight, especially from the serenity of Lincoln Park.

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This expanse of greenery is a solace to many- from the water’s edge to Jarvis Bird Sanctuary, and, yes, to Lincoln Park Zoo.  I spent about twenty minutes here, contemplating Chicago’s majestic side.

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Along Addison Avenue, going back to the hostel, are several architectural gems.

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I can’t look at a water tower in this city, without thinking of the Fire of 1871.

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Conical roofs are appealing, both on apartment blocks and on churches.

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I am just glad for one thing:  I don’t have to drive in Wrigleyville as a daily routine.  I think that would be way above my pay grade.  It’ll be enough to navigate out of here, tomorrow morning.

The Road to 65, Mile 328: Deferred

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Posted by on in Inspiration, Striving

October 21, 2015, Chino Valley-  The Chicago Cubs came further than they have, in over a century.  Then they ran into the buzzsaw that is New York City’s professional teams.  It takes time, patience and an indomitable will, to beat a team from the Big Apple.  My Red Sox know that, better than anyone.  The Sox are on hiatus, but they will come back.  Then again, the Yankees are taking a break, too.

The Cubs remain the only team to have waited more than a century to reach even the secondary level of the championship ladder, but they will be at the top, within three years. It takes time, patience and an indomitable will, to overcome the entrenched and powerful.

The voices of the common people, many of whom have not been heard for centuries, are at long last being heard.  Some of what they say is a message of frustration.  It does not ring of justice- when it is voiced by the ignorant, the self-centered, the blinkered- and the opportunistic, who pretend to speak for the dispossessed.  The voices of the common people must all be heard, though, lest those denied a voice end up “stinking like rotten meat”, the way Islamic State is now, the way the Nazis did, in the middle of the last century.

“What happens to a dream deferred?  Does it dry up, like a raisin in the sun?”- Langston Hughes