Chicago in the Form of a Flower: a Reflection by an Old Man
On this particular day, with somewhat a grave and rueful expression of his face and wistful gleams in his eyes, the extremely haggard gentleman, confined in his meticulously clean, perhaps too sterile, hospital room travels through time in his mind over a variety of changes…a development or evolution…his most beloved place has undergone. His admission to the hospital that is located separated from all the activities going on in the Windy City of Chicago seemingly contributes to his present spirit of loneliness and general feelings of uneasiness and hopelessness. However, there is a sense of thankfulness, not that of resentment, he feels toward his illness because It allows him to have time to reflect on this experience, as it did this day.
With his tiring eyes closed, he can still vividly see his golden days of childhood and adulthood, as if films of a documentary movie are slowly reeling out. Toward the scene of downtown Chicago, his wearied, but attentive and careful attention is directed. Through the eyes of his mind, we see Chicago in the form of a seed beginning to venture out to the New World. With the passage of time, it gains its nourishment, stated differently, various invaluable experiences that have altered and attributed to its development and formation. With a strong base of roots underneath the earth, it emerges very delicately and gracefully from the ground. Gradually, its stem and leaves obtain characteristics of freshness, and present t a great possibility of maturing into energetic spurs of fruitfulness. As hoped, it grows into a breathtakingly wonderful sight of a flower that is worthy of admiration and praised from beholders.
Not surprisingly, his birthplace of Chicago holds a very special place within his heart. Like this moment when his thoughts are full of dear memories of evolving Chicago, he feels pride toward it as if he is a father overjoyed with such delights of happiness and satisfaction when seeing his kid accomplishes something. Along with Chicago in the early stage of its life, he, too, has grown from his infancy and has arrived at his final stage of life…an elderly person whose span of life is almost spent. Like Lake Michigan, one of Chicago’s constant and faithful companions, he believes himself to be an intimate bosom friend of Chicago because he has observed and shared all of the changes his friend Chicago has experienced: additions of sprouts, leaves, bulbs, petals of blooming flowers, and new seeds. Ultimately, Chicago has become a fruitful life form that supports and is comprised of many other entities-subway transportation system, constructions of skyscrapers, commercial and residential buildings, traffics, peoples, and exchanges of many other activities and events, both unobserved and observed. More importantly, it has a potential to grow to a new level of existence that would accommodate that next generation and a new era by continuing to provide a shelter and enrichments.
As he slowly opens his eyes, the scenery within his mind disappears, and is replaced with a bleak presence of the white painted wall of his quiet hospital room. Unlike Chicago in its current vital status, he is near the end of his journey in this world. His feelings of sadness must be form knowing that the time will arrive eventually and soon for him to say “Good-bye” to his close friend Chicago, whose life will continue to go on even after his departure from this world. Yet, a smile lingers around his mouth as he , consumed with overwhelming sleepiness, now begins to drift into a world of dreams because he feels quite pleased to have known and grown up with Chicago; he feels himself very fortunate to have been a part of Chicago’s mainstream life.