Living in this environment, I have a lot of fears. I encounter some really weird/creepy people on an almost minutely basis. And crime is all around me and as a young girl my safety is always threatened. I am constantly on high alert. Here are some of the scariest/weirdest things that I've seen with my own two eyes the past 3 months in Chicago:
*A man physically assaulting a woman on the "el" (subway)
*Drug deals galore on the street PLUS (as a bonus) a guy rolling a joint on the street-corner next to my apartment
*Four big, scary, 'roid-raging D-BAGS screaming obscenities at Cam and I downtown late one night (for no apparent reason other than the 'roids).
*a lady on the "el" who had shit her pants and was pan-handling.
BUT, these truly bizarre/scary experiences aren't the point in this entry. While I encounter things that threaten my safety on a daily basis, I really have become quite acclimated to living life here. So, I could tell you about the weird/creepy things that I see all day without blinking an eye. Strangely, despite it, I don't living a constant state of fear.
What I want to tell you about is my BIGGEST and certainly MOST IRRATIONAL fear...
...WALKING THROUGH REVOLVING DOORS.
And I know this sounds weird. I know it does. But- I have a bit of an anxiety problem, and I keep myself up at night worrying about really stupid things. And this is a REALLY stupid one.
See, there are A LOT of revolving doors here in Chicago- it's a big city and they need to get people shuffled around as quickly and efficiently as possible. So, I encounter them all the time at the "el" stops, stores, restaurants. Even the grocery stores all have revolving doors.
And, always, as I see the revolving door looming ahead of me, I get this really uneasy feeling. I just know that it's going to be disaster. I approach the revolving traps before me knowing that one of the following is going to happy:
A) The door will get get going too fast and I will get caught up in it like a damned cartoon character just rotating around and around (which I know isn't physically possible but that doesn't even matter when it comes to irrational fears)
B) The people behind me will push the door too fast and I'm going to get tripped up, fall down, and get smooshed
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C) I'm going to be too cautious (because I go REALLY slow with these deathtraps) and go so slowly that people behind me get mad at me.
Either way SOMETHING embarrassing is going to happen. I always know it. Nothing has happened yet. Thankfully. But, I know something will happen soon. And I get this sick feeling in my stomach each time I approach a revolving door. Is this weird and stupid? Yes. Do I have MUCH BIGGER things to worry about living in a city like Chicago? Yes. But I can't help it. Embarrassing.
The Wiz
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3 comments:
That guy rolling a joint was probably rolling what Kevin and I call a cowboy cigarette. He's too poor to afford the 8 bucks a pack of pre-rolled cigarettes.
However, your fear of revolving doors is not irrational. I've been flat-tired in those things so many times I can't even count them all. And, for some reason, people act like you spit on their mom if you proceed with caution through the death-traps...I mean revolving doors. The worst is coming out of the grocery store with a brazillion bags and trying to get situated, and then someone flat-tires you.
No, the joint was a joint. Because then his friend asked him about it and he said that it was "medicine."
Well, perhaps he was suffering from glaucoma. Debilitating diseases of the eye are no laughing matter, you know.
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