Something said. Something Understood.

11.26.2004


The Guys

11.19.2004

Lemonade

My days are no different than they were three years ago when I left my job making pretty good money at a Chicago Technology company. I have had a pretty good run at good paying jobs. But they were just that; jobs but not really intersting, although a lot of fun at times. The entire past three year span was completely different than anything I've ever been through. Really!!! That contrast would take years to tell, but every single day is prtty interesting. So, maybe this will interest you.

What's my day like.....
This morning I got up took a shower, trimmed the beard a bit, and brushed my hair. I put on my suit and I went to work. Today I went to try to get a theater. Now, I'll say this. I've had no discernible income since 2002. So, needless to say - I'm hoping there's good will involved at some point during the day.

I make a few calls before I leave the apartment. Most of the calls are me following up or in professional terms "pestering people". I'm almost asking someone to sponsor a show or spend some quality dollars on one artist or another, but always for all of them. My call backs are to determine if my request was discarded, whether I was pawn off, or if a deal is moving forward. That's been my life for the last 14 years. The little bizzare details of the last three years are what make this movie so, I guess, livable. Plus I'm pretty persistent.

This theater is in the heart of a place that was "once the murder capital of the USA". That's a big ass title to wear on a t-shirt. One the way their I dive from the east side of Chicago west. And for non-Chicagoans, the only east side is on the south side of Chicago. As of three years ago I was a transplat southsider that had just returned from living on the northside of Chicago for 7 years. I didn't grow up in a bad area (or a bad era). But the northside of Chicago is really a different world. People can walk around drunk and no one bothers them. I've even been help across the street by a cop on Belmont and Broadway. But the southside has changed since I last lived here in 1986. On the southside of Chicago you can't walk ten feet without a cop staring directly at you as they are cats waiting to pounce on you. It's a neccesary evil, but not everyone is an insurgent. That it's increasingly accepted as normal is a bit disconcerting.

Here's an example. On my way down 63rd street as I get to the Dan Ryan overpass the traffic is complete stopped. On the other side of the expressway I can see tons of squad cars with blue-lights- a-blarring. They've got the street blocked off in both directions and many have their doors open with no one in them. On one sidewalk is three cops with what looks to be a couple of teens guys. Directly across at the gas station theri is a malee of about a hundred youth, some swinging, kicking, and punching. One cop is stepping in repeatedly and trying break up whatever fight being raged in his general area.

My old boss and whom I consider a mentor, once called me Subtle as a sledge hammer. I guess this is why......

I don't write this blog or the Rant for any other reason than shear purpose. I'm not sure what that exact purpose is yet, but along the way I do what I can. I have a pretty interesting life, and fairly lucky at times. But, as the saying goes "luck is what happens when preparedness meets opportunity". I've been remiss in thanking all the people who helped prepare me along this journey to this point in time because of all the writing and the calls and the dreams I try to effect in my current purpose. But my only point is the adoption of digital in urban areas is of positive or negative importance to this phase of American life.

We're about to got through a change in America that can go only one of two ways. Mathmatically, only one of the two can occur.

Positive - urban areas adopt digital technology for a bunch of stuff. most of which reduce their cost of living and improving their quality of life. Simply that. Other cultures across an entire range of social, economic, ethnic groups will come together in those communities. The communites will become the face of those people and more interesting part of American culture as a result.

The other way is the path we've chosen. The police will continue to clean up those areas. Liberties will tightened and tentions heightend for a while and as a result money made in "the hood" continue to be a high-volume transaction. In the end, people influenced by those everyday events will have to reach further and further for employment and housing. Now this has to with a mix things to do with unbanked consumerism and credit penalties, but overall you just become jumpy living under those conditions for long periods of time. Let say in twenty years, places like Camden, New Jersey (Home of Campbell Soup) are completely economically restored, 80% of the face of the suburbs will look not black, white or even other common description than just jumpy. The once depressed areas will be the envy of the opportunists lost. At the jumpy will be literally frowned at by the priveledged.

Top 10 songs songs as of 2005
Liberation by Outkast - still needed
Someplace Beautiful by Mauri Sevier & Kaleidoscope - hope so
My Petition by Jill Scott - did you sign it
Jigsaw by Primeridian - it is
The Ladder by Prince - everbody is looking for one
It Takes 2 by Rob Bass - at least two
Chinese Cafe by Joanie Mitchell.

How do I start each day. I made this web page, real simple as a piece of motivation that I wouldn't have to think about avfer I saw it. If you want to see it - click here.
and Me? My hands are full. You interested? Put yes in the subject line and e-mail me at steven@vocabularyclub.org or steven@xtra-medium.com.