Take A Book, Give A Book

In Chicago, and perhaps elsewhere, remains a little phenomenon where denizens craft a wooden casing display and shelf and store out in front of their house, storing literature for those to take and simply give back. In regards to where and when it exactly started is unknown; one by one they would pop up around the city within residential blocks. They’re hard to spot due since there are so few of them, but when one does locate said wooden display, they’ll find themselves shifting through the load to find a treasure they weren’t expecting.

The whole idea of it is to spread literature, kindness, and sharing amongst human beings. If you are carrying a book on you and you just so happen to stop by one of these, you could trade in the one you have in exchange for a fresh read.

Each box is different in its style and presentation, but they all consist of the same task by storing in books of any genre for the public to approach, inspect, and hopefully take a book with them. It works better than a library since you won’t be charged for turning in the rented book late. There’s no rule where it states that if you take one, you don’t have to trade one in, though that seems to defeat the purpose of these.

I spot these on my daily walks I take instead of going to the gym. They’re usually about an hour to two hours long because I’m enjoying myself with my headphones cranked all the way up. I never see anyone by these wooden boxes, but I imagine I’m just missing them, minutes before my arrival or after.

I snapped a couple I’ve found in the last month or so. As aforesaid, they’re few in number, so it’s a rarity to find them, and it’s not like there’s an app or a website to look on and see where all the nearby boxes at. Maybe there is, but I believe that takes away the adventure aspect about it. They’re meant to be surprises on your journey, like finding a five-dollar bill on the floor or seeing an old friend along the road. It’s not expected, it’s not planned, and it’s not even a thought preconceived before you step out the door. It’s one of those joys in life that are hard to find but easy to embrace.

Mayhap I’ll bring a book that I’m interested in having any longer on one of my walks, with hopes of running into a box to make the trade I haven’t been able to perform.

Mayhap one day.

https://link.kikitime.com/post/e71d8a25-d3b1-400c-98e2-88c8cdbefa58

Firefly

The weather is ever-changing around the globe as issues and shifts in global warming continue to rise. It’s caused even the most beautiful seasons in the Windy City to feel like hell on more days than one can think of. Though the picture has little reference to the whole notion of global warming, it was a curious thought that struck me when this little buddy left me to fly away to their mate.

I can’t decipher the sex of it, but its beauty remains nonetheless revered. To those who may not know, this little beetle is a lightning bug, or more technically a firefly. A flying insect that emits a glow from its abdomen area, producing a noticeable green glow in the nighttime when the sun disappears.

As a child, these cuties would show up in great numbers, creating this summer scene where the dark sky with orange pollution and stars in few sights were combined with flying dots of green. A peaceful atmosphere disturbed only by noise back then.

This past summer, however, finding these glowing critters became a challenge: it was hard to find them in and around the city. If I did manage to find them, they were only in the single digits as opposed to the dozens I was familiar with. And I was out for a chunk of the summer instead of writing (as I should’ve been) and playing an insane amount of video games into the twilight time.

But no matter what I did, from taking lengthy walks with my headphones on to meeting up with friends, I couldn’t seem to find them as much as before.

It got to the point where I didn’t even see one at night. Maybe I’m just tripping, maybe I’m going blind or something, but locating any of these little ones has sorely declined in memory.

Recently, one just happened to be flying near me. As per usual, I can’t recall what exactly I was doing – probably on another long ass stroll around my neighborhood if anything – but I was able to flow my hand to the speed of the insect to match it, catching it, or more so allowing it so land on my finger without struggle or harm.

It stayed a bit, glowed as expected when needed, and eventually it extended its wings and went away. It wasn’t dark yet, but its presence was enough for a quick photoshoot. A firefly amongst the masses, only to appear by itself.

Firefly - https://link.kikitime.com/post/ec140e55-9db3-4b1a-8640-a1047069c1aa

Joker on the Railway

It was just one of those days in the town, dazed and probably confused, where I, or we, strolled through some busy streets after an outdoor event, where I looked up at some point in time and saw something interesting: today it was the Joker. Not a cosplayer domed up on a fix or even Phoenix himself, but a soft toy about 3 feet tall that included all of the iconic features of the notorious comic book villain, from the creamy makeup to the sinister smile. He's staring down and laughing at the street as he clings onto the rail tracks, at the city that resembles one of Gotham City and vice versa. A Joker stuck, laughing below with cars zooming by.

I quickly snapped the scene before I walked away to shelter, now a physical memory of mine of a smile that mirrors the crazies of the city. A smile invented by society, even now so merely grasping it up high, only to laugh and stand in the end. 

Ha ha ha ha.

https://www.kikitime.com/post/eb86c65e-14ad-496c-9632-f4801a55619c

THAT LOOKS LIKE A GUN

My sister and I were shopping for groceries at the Wal-Mart near our residence on a normal day in the lives of two millennials getting goods for home when a random encounter took place before our eyes, as we were prepared ourselves for the checkout at the register when this black lady in her aging 50s approached the area for the mini-aisle you glance at as you gather your stuff onto the registry belt for purchase about a suspicious item that sparked her outrage: a blowtorch for grills and whatnot that looked "like a gun".
I filled the belt with our goods as this woman walked alongside an employee, where she pointed out the item hanging on the rack that stood less than five feet from me.
"This one," she said as she took out one copy of the item behind its family of replicas, "This is something the police are gonna point out and do something about - that looks like a gun!" she exclaimed openly as the residents of Skokie and northern Chicago readied their checkouts. I was placing food onto the belt when this annoyed citizen approached the side aisle by me, bitching about how this item that should be taken off the rack entirely, and nothing else. At the time it seemed futile to me, and it still does because of a firing item that is used for cooking and grilling and hopefully not for any other outdoor use (otherwise the user would be getting themselves into a whole heap of useless trouble). Maybe she had a low-life offspring that got into gangs and got themselves shot or some unfortunate incident had occurred at a family barbeque, but for a place that sells all kinds of goods for reasonable purposes to the public, it seemed absolutely stupid to me for this mess to cause a scene when everyone is just going about their routine.
"No one cares," the elderly woman said aloud after the agitated customer left with the employee to see "the manager", leaning on her cart with a smirk of privileged sophistication as she connected with me about the annoyance with the situation - her and along with a few others that sort of just snickered at the situation and moved on.
My sister didn't say much but kind of chuckled at what unfolded, but I couldn't help but wonder why a person would act in such a way...until I encountered her once again in the parking lot, standing by the curb mumbling to herself right outside the Wal-Mart as cars drove on by. I didn't know how to interpret her because I couldn't figure out her dialogue, but she sure as hell wasn't happy with the outcome of her situation, and the air and people of Skokie shall pay the price of some open-mouthed complainer who won't shut up, all in due to some blowtorch that just happens to look "like a gun."
Is there sympathy to be expressed? Mayhap. But to those merely shopping, in the peace and comfort of a Wal-Mart that intends to do no harm to the consumers, not really.
I'm naming her Patty, because I can't think of a better, more suitable name for this individual.

Arrival on Damen, Coming 2021

New CTA construction plans are scheduled to take place very soon as the mayor of the city and Department of Transportation begin to move forward on a new Green Line station being assembled between Damen Avenue and Lake Street. Residents of the West Side are invited to witness a glass-covered bridge being added as Columbia College's Folayemi Wilson is set to create murals that will focus on the history of Chicago's West Side.
Ever since 2011, the city had planned big things for the civilians of Chicago for upgraded and new stations to be a part of a development initiative for public transit. If this newly designed station is going to be as fancy as the reports say, who knows what other glass-based stations can be thought of for all the other stations that run in, around, and out of Chicago, with Jefferson Park's Blue station being close to completion from the outside of things.
In the meantime, those who attend the special events at the United Center will now have a closer safe-ish spot for them when this anticipated Green Line station arrives 2021.