Around 7PM, I decided to head over to Filter to spend some time revising poems. Right before I left, Justin gave me a ring and we decided to meet up there. Walking down North Ave, I saw this:
Great! Now all I need to do is find a tanker truck full of Scotch. And I’m set!
At Filter, I got a bit of revising in, and Justin and I chatted a while. Talked turned to having a drink outdoors (because of the great weather), and a plan was made to head to Wicker Park, with a Coke can full of whiskey. Justin left to procure the necessary liquids, and I stuck around and revised a bit more.
By the time we actually arrived at the park, it was very dark and nearly 9:00 PM. I was a bit wary at first, but after a few minutes (and a few sips), it felt perfectly natural to be outside, sitting on a metal bench, staring at an empty, dry fountain.
Justin and I talked a bit about growing up. And as there was a basketball court nearby, we talked about basketball growing up, and kids’ games, and the like. Talk turned to work, and in a very odd way talking about work helped me forget about work somewhat. Or it helped me vent. Something like that.
Around 10:00 PM, I saw a guy zip by on rollerblades, with a girl following close behind on a bicycle. I leaned over to Justin and asked if that was Stu and Juliet. And what do you know? Serendipity.
It was a great moment to have friends spontaneously gather around the fountain at Wicker Park. It felt like a good way to end the evening. The one thing I regret is handing Juliet our can of Coke, and not telling her it was filled with whiskey. I meant it as a playful gesture, and I’m afraid it sort of came across as a jerk move. I apologized later, and she seemed to not mind (luckily).
We all parted ways, Stu and Juliet leaving to get more exercise and Justin heading back to his place. I must say – up until arriving in the park, my day was fairly stress-filled and unhappy. But hanging out with Justin, drinking whiskey out of a coke can, made me feel young again. Carefree. It reminded me of where I should be focusing my time – namely, hanging out with friends, and not worrying so much about work that, in the grand scheme of things, doesn’t amount to or matter much. Seeing Stu and Juliet only confirmed the sentiment, as though the world were trying to tell me that this, this is how I should spend my days.
Great night tonight.
