It's the small things....

There is something to be said for living in the moment.  Enjoying each minute as it comes, seeing the joys of nature and humanity.  No where is this more evident then on my train ride into the city each morning.

A few stops after I get on, a man and his toddler daughter hop on the train.  They take a few moments to get settled; he adjusts his backpack and hers, takes off coats, brushes her hair with his fingers, all the while this little voice saying "dad! dad!".  They settle in to yogurt, juice boxes and the morning paper.  The conductor comes into our car yelling "Tickets! Get your tickets ready!" She squeals in excitement, jumping up and down.   "Dad! Tickets! Tickets!" grabs the ticket from her dad's hand, proudly waving it in front of the conductor.  As this is a monthly ticket, there is no need for the conductor to stop, he normally waves at you and moves on.  However, each morning the conductor bends down, takes the ticket and pretends to put a punch in it.  He has a brief conversation with her (I call her "The Baby") and smiling moves on.  "The Baby" has a way of lighting everyone's mental load.  Throughout the train ride she sings, repeats the same sentence in a sing song voice, discusses topics that only make sense to a 3 year old and occasionally will whimper or whine (Only to be jollied around by her loving dad).  She entertains a trainful of curmudgeony commuters who are half awake and trying to focus themselves for the day's tasks. No one can help but smile and feel there is more right than wrong with the world.

The 7:11 train is a creatures of habit route.  Most of the people on this train sit in the same seat in the same car.  You can always tell when a "newbie" rides on the 7:11.  They have the audacity to frown and roll their eyes at our "The Baby" while looking to other passengers for confirmation on what a pain it is to have a toddler along for the commute.  We, the people of the first car of the 7:11, stare down this interloper making it painfully obvious that this is a treat, not an endurance.  This is the effect "The Baby" has had on us all.

The end of this tale is the most heart warming. "The Baby" and her dad collect their belongings and get off the train.  Her dad settles her into a stroller, adjusting her hat, mittens and boots.  She waves at certain people and says "hi" in that perfectly perky voice that only the very young or very old can get away with.  She lightens up all of our paths including the two older men, beaten up by time and circumstance, who ask for spare change outside.  Every morning, the father and "The Baby" approach the men.  "The Baby" greets them, waves and exchanges some words of wisdom. Immediately the two men break out in beaming smiles.    Anyone who witnesses this small kindness cannot help but be touched by it.  The simple act of a child and the startling consequence is a lesson in humanity.  It is not what you give, but how you give it.  It's not the wealth of your presents, but the wealth of your presence.

So thank you "The Baby", every morning I am reminded to the beauty of life and the importance of generosity of spirit.

Billy Goat Breakfast - Don't Butt In!!

Living and working in Chicago definitely has its perks.  We have a beautiful lakefront, great sports teams, world-class museums, classy old theaters and opera houses, Wrigley Field, Michigan Ave. and lower Michigan Ave.

Lower Michigan Avenue is mostly comprised of concrete supports, truck delivery docks, parking garage entrances and roll away dumpster ports. But there is a hidden gem that most every Chicagoan and many tourists worldwide know about. I'm talking about the famous Billy Goat Tavern and Grill. The Billy Goat Tavern is not much to look at - it's neon cavern, dark and dank and emits a steamy, rancid greasy plume almost 24/7.

Billy Goat Tavern is known mostly for their burgers. Most popular is the double cheese burger - two thin patties of beef, shrunk well on a hot griddle with onions and a couple squares of American cheese slapped on by one of the friendly Greek fry-cooks, just before adeptly tucking between a kaiser-style bun. Salt, pepper, mustard, ketchup, raw onions, pickles and relish are all on you to determine just the desired ratio for your taste. What many people, both tourists and city denizens alike, have missed out on is the amazing breakfast sandwiches that the Billy Goat has to offer. And the 50 cent coffee is unbeatable!

Think for a moment... it's Friday morning, the city is just coming to life, empty beer bottles and other remnants of the previous late-night's revelry are still evident near the underground, sparsely lit entrance. Think about taking a half an hour just before going to work and having a ham, egg and cheese breakfast sandwiched between the kaiser roll bun. Or bacon, sausage...even salami, bologna or any variation of these. Imagine for a moment raw onions and pickles on the side as a garnish. All this for $5 at 8:00 am in the morning! And imagine sharing this experience with the same circle of very good and trusted friends.

This wouldn't be something you would (or could) do every day, or even every week for that matter. But say you had a standing appointment once a month, let's say the 3rd Friday of each month as a scheduled ritual. Now that's something you could never put a price on. This is something to look forward to... something to savor, this special time with friends, greasy sandwich, coffee and conversation. This is Billy Goat Breakfast (BGB).