Hi Ray! I enjoyed reading about your trip to Chicago. My dad has mentioned it. (I don’t think Chicago is HIS kind of town.)
People often ask if I like Chicago. Well, I guess I do, since I’ve stayed here almost 20 years. There are definite benefits to a larger city – the entertainment options, the public transportation, the job opportunities, and of course, the wide variety and number of yarn stores.
I do think there may be MORE to be said for a town like Greeley. For example, I avoid going out for lunch if I can. I try to bring my own lunch to work. If I go out, it’s really hard to get anything for lunch without spending over $10. If I took $10 downtown in Greeley, I could have a really nice meal, with someone taking my order and bringing my food, and being POLITE about it – rather than shoving my meal into a bag.
I avoid driving anywhere in Chicago, if I can, as finding a place to PUT my car once I’ve arrived can often be a nightmare and take longer than the journey itself. Depending on traffic, a five mile trip can take 10 minutes – or an hour. Hard to say.
My commute would certainly be different if I lived in Greeley. I could walk the few blocks to downtown faster than I can walk the 3/4 mile to my el station. Even if I took a job in a larger city, like Grand Island, I’d have a 45 to 50 minute commute by car. I couldn’t crochet like I do on the el here, but I wouldn’t be subjected to the smells and annoyances of public transportation either.
Obviously, housing costs are much higher in Chicago. When I was looking for my second condo, around 2000, some of them sold the parking spaces separately. My mother was shocked I’d be looking at paying $25,000 for a PARKING space. For less than $25,000, I could get a small house in Greeley – with a garage.
I have a lot of fond memories of growing up in Greeley. Summer days spent at the swimming pool, with a trip to the Dairy Sweet for a hot fudge sundae if I was lucky. Attending baseball games at the park, with a hot dog and a “scotcheroo” (an amazing treat involving rice cereal, peanut butter, and chocolate/butterscotch frosting). Visiting friends that lived on farms or ranches, looking at all the various animals – pigs, cows, cats, dogs, horses… Going water skiing at the lake and getting sun burns and trying not to lose any of my swimsuit in that initial ascent out of the water on one ski. Going canoeing at the river, pushing the canoe off sand bars, and trying not to bump into any electric fences with our aluminum canoe (which can be a shocking experience).
The best part of Greeley, though, is the people. I remember when my mom broke her leg. So many people brought casseroles and helped out in other ways. As a child, I knew everyone was looking out for me. As a teenager I knew it as well, though I was less grateful for it. Everyone in Greeley is so kind and helpful and generous and courteous – I guess that’s why I wouldn’t fit in at all. I better stay here in Chi-town.
Submitted for publication in The Greeley Citizen.
