the world has come to Chicago

Hello all (i have to blog at least 2 times a week...so hear is number 2)

The other day I was riding the train from Uptown (where I am) to down town Chicago. During the 7 mile ride from where I live to the library, which was our final destination...we passed through many different, strikingly unique neighbourhoods. Chicago is actually made up of about 77 different neighbourhoods, and for me to even dream of seeing them all is completely unreasonable.

Several hours later, I crossed a bridge that goes over one of the busiest highways in America. The highway connects Milwaukee and Chicago, and continues on as interstates do. I had never seen so many cars in one place, all fighting for position in the endless maze of traffic, and racing towards a destination unknown to me, and unknown to everyone else.

Back on the train on the way home, I thought how amazing it is that one could live in the same place and know so little about the place we live. However, in a city of 8 million and 77 different ethnic neighbourhoods (including the largest Polish population outside of Warsaw), it seems all too likely that this is the case. It would be a stretch to imagine that someone could even scratch the surface of knowing what a city like Chicago is like.

So, in order to console myself as I passed by the smoke stained (but surprisingly beautiful) apartments and townhouses, I imagined the stories I would hear from the people who lived there. What events have shaped their lives? Who abandoned them? Who was there for them? Who are they missing? What are they missing? If only I could listen to the life stories of all these people... Someone who I respect very much once said, “Wherever there are people...stories to be heard, it is important that we hear them, because it is in that way that we become more human.” I believe that whole heartedly, and that is one of the biggest reasons that I have decided to go to Africa for a year. However, it is clear to me now that no matter how hard I try...I will never be able to hear all the stories that I want to, so I hope that God will guide me to those who I need to hear, and who need to hear whatever I have to say...if they even have to...and hopefully, through this process I will find out what it means to be human.

Kyle

P.S. For all of you Rise Against fans (as you should know, Chicago is where they hail from), listen to The Chamber and the Cartridge. Note the spoken part in the beginning of the song, “This is Noise!” I was riding the train and the speaker on the train that announces the stops says, “This is ____” IT IS THE EXACT SAME VOICE! Just thought I would let you know that...I was blown away by it!