Living for the Other...

I ended up back in an frosty apartment flopped down on a too short couch confused about why such a question from such a questioner would be so difficult for me to answer.

Of course I'm Kelly.


Well I should like to be a little....

And my mind immediately filled with all of the little things I'd rather be, jostling to be first in line, trampling weaker thoughts, shoving like a herd of rhinos in a china shop, wrestling like fish caught in a net...

Nah... Kelly, just Kelly, is alright.

A city so clean, buildings so reflective, lake Michigan like a sky dotted with sailboats instead of clouds.

Trying to go back home and hungry

The fountains make faces and overflow with millions of gallons of water, the architecture dazzles with texture and quirks, the rusty train tracks criss cross like lace thrown over the city.

If you buy one I promise I'll go away.

An art fair spontaneously bursts on the scene and paintings and sculptures multiply on the street, ambulance sirens wail and car tires press over asphalt, delis and popcorn shops grow snaking lines of people for tails, and a girl hums a song which gets lost in the rhythm of cups rattling with change.

Please help me I have nothing please understand.

An elevator in the awe inspiring public library holds only two guests. A tall, bent man with fatigue for a cap, getting off at the non-fiction floor wearing odd colored clothes from another time and carrying a duffel bag out of which peeps a newspaper, a jacket, a tube of toothpaste... bing... his floor. Have a nice day sir. You too.

Just hungry.

A street bustling with shoppers, tourists, all manner of folk. People with money walk past shops beckoning them in, bewitching them into leaving all their money inside. A woman with no face. Head wrapped in a scarf betraying her faith, posture curled, seated on a bag. She has been in Chicago two years originally from Romania. Her four children don't have school today because it's Sunday. Her Spanish is better than her English for some reason. Her husband died in an accident. This city is beautiful but not as beautiful as her home. Her name is Teresa.

When Teresa speaks she can't look at me. When she finishes each phrase she risks a glance, turning her shame stricken face cautiously towards mine. Her expression makes the clouds well up and become heavy and dark with rain. You're so kind she says when my hand squeezes her arm. It's only a little, I hope you can find the rest you need. She rubs the small bill and slips it into her pocket. When she glances at me again, all she sees are tears: mine.

Shalom AlaeKum I lost my job need money for rent and food have four children.
That's Teresa's sign. It shakes in her hands and she covers her face with it.

An army of volunteers turn the streets into barricades. A wild haired elderly man seen twice in one day. A helicopter roars between buildings past burnt out cars and heaps of rubble. Four parachuters wobble in the air and land on the street. A sneak peek at Tranformers 3 out in theaters soon. My train pulls away from the station without me.

The birds of the air have nests foxes have holes in the ground but the son of man has no place to lay his head.

A city of cardboard signs with rough edges and finger marks. Black marker scrawls their autobiography. Everything they possess carried in bags with fraying straps. All their hope for a meal numbered among a few sticky coins.

Chicago: a city of three million people. 80,000 don't have homes.

Weary? Tired of listening to the World Cup in Chinese? Arms sore from lifting boxes? Clothes filthy? Look like a caveman?

You've come to the right place friends.

Welcome to Spa America where all your dreams can come true. We have friendly customs officials who can clear you from Vancouver, and imported Iranian hair dressers to give you an immediate hair cut better than you've ever had before. We have nature shows on blue ray and lightning fast internet that will make you dizzy from the speed, and if those entertainment outlets aren't enough, Toy Story 3 is out in theaters now for you to enjoy in 3D.

If you're hungry you can take a pick from the widest range of dining options on earth right in one room if you choose. Now, at Wheaton College cafeteria they are serving three meals a day with more clean fruit and vegetables as well as a wider selection of meat and dairy than you've seen all year guaranteed. Organic corn chips and black lentil salsa anyone? Bagels? Let's see how many types of meat you can eat in a day...

After so much eating and entertainment you might want to bathe. Hot water instantly and at a temperature and pressure so consistent you may begin to lose all sense of time. Our range of bath products will also have you shocked. That oily skin is no match for our shelves of face scrubs and your split ends will flee in terror before the might of our conditioners. Did we mention that you could drink the water? Go ahead and have a sip, it's all clean. And no need to throw that used toilet paper in the filthy bucket next to you, just flush it down our state of the art seated toilet.

Other accommodations include temperature controls for every room, with a flick of the switch you can be as hot or cold as you like, machines that will wash your clothes better than any set of hands in China and dry them to boot, and streets that are safe to cross with no garbage anywhere in sight. Don't believe it? We challenge you to take you shoes off and stretch your toes in the lush green grass as proof.

Because here at Spa America we pride ourselves on the odds that you'll never be uncomfortable again.

Can I make a reservation for 2 months please?