Summer in the City

As the end of the week approaches i take a deep breath and exhale slowly....a sigh of relief that the first of 46 weeks is finally coming to an end. It has not been a bad week, just a slow one. And exahausting. We have done everything from sitting for hours listening to Darrel talk about things few of us will remember the next day, to riding Chicago's mass transit system in round-about ways just to observe the city. I think all of us are ready for a break this weekend. As for me though, i am beginning to recognize that the way i think is changing.

Today on the train i had the random urge to stand up and let an older man sit in my seat. He declined the invitation. But the very urge to offer him my seat surprised me. I'm not saying that i am ordinarilly rude to the elderly, just that i normally wouldn't have thought to offer the seat, much less actually have had the nerve to stand up and do it. Later at the Green Energy place there were several people working in a garden. One young man pushed a wheelbarrow near to where we were sitting and began picking up weeds which were strewn on the ground. Without even thinking about it i stood up and began helping him. This may not sound like much but it did open my eyes to the people around me.