his classmates were mostly from in-state
but there was a small contingent from the greater Midwestern area
and when the natives would extol the urbanity of the Twin Cities
he and his friends would respond something to the effect of
"Yeah well that don't cut shit in Chicago"
being born and raised in Northern Illinois
and now a long time denizen of that City Of Broad Shoulders
the sentiment has stuck with me
and become a catch all
not only for the roiling, teeming humanity of my beloved city
not only for the cornucopic culture- art, culinary and otherwise
but for the Midwestern urban ethos
that reserved kindness, that quiet respect, that awareness
most citizens tend to adopt in order to live in this particular city
there is an anonymous belonging She offers that is utterly unique
we do not have the sprawling faux-wellness of LA
or the pretentious grit of NYC
what we have is a hushed, unflinching determination
a glorious momentum, an inevitability
so when people talk about Nashville, Milwaukee, Cleveland
about Albuquerque, St. Louis, Atlanta
they sound like nice places to visit
but if we must compare, I will always say
that don't cut shit in Chicago.
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