New York City is a BIG place.
Chicago, not so much. But I still miss it.
Sure, the Chicagoland area's population is ranked 24th highest in the world, but its paltry 8.3 million citizens don't get much of a word in edgewise compared to the NYC Metro area's 17.8 million people, ranked second in the world.
But Chicago - Chicago has hot dogs.
Hot dogs that look like they've been drug through a garden, filled with huge slices of pickles, tomatoes, peppers, and relish of a neon green color that could only be caused by green dye #3 or radioactivity. And not to cramp on NYC's style or anything (and I may inadvertently start a small war by saying this), but Chicago's pizza is much better.
Chicago has Da Bears - a certain team, now being led by a certain coach, to a certain Bowl that is Super, for the first time since Da Mighty Ditka did it back in '85. I am a HUGE Bears fan, and when I first moved to New York, one of the first things on my to-do list was: find a Bears bar. I finally found one, and I love it, but nothing compares to watching the game in Chicago.
Chicago is also home to the Cubs, the "L," the Duke of Perth (my favorite bar of -all- time), the Music Box Theatre, Second City, Lake Shore Trail, two awesome newspapers, Billy Goat Tavern (cheezborger cheezborger cheezborger!), Lake Michigan, and some of the best museums in the world.
And it's home to two of my very best friends that I have in this life.
For me, moving to New York was an incredibly difficult decision to make, but one thing mattered more to me when I was comparing the two cities (and yes, I made a list):
New York has EchoDitto.
I know, it sounds cheesy. But during his life, a man spends more than 50% of his waking time at his job, and given how fleeting and fragile life is, a man better be darn sure he's doing something good, something worthwhile, with that 50%. And with EchoDitto, I've got a chance to do that. We're doing great things here, helping a lot of people live better lives through projects like Achievable Dreams, and, for our part, striving for good during the great challenges of our time. When it comes down to it, isn't that why we were put on this Earth?
Yes, I do still miss Chicago, and I always will, and I'll go back every chance I get. But I can't return for good just because I miss it, or because I might be more comfortable there. Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. phrased it best when he wrote, "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." I have my chance to stand for the good during my moments of challenge and controversy, and right now that can only happen here in New York.
But I can still root for the Bears, no matter where I am. Bear Down!
