u/Exhaust8354

look around on the train. look around on the bus. look at everyone on the platform. we are all on our phones. I am too. Reddit is my only social media and I have to really try to put my phone away and just stare at the wall or the floor.

lets just be bored for a bit on our CTA rides. take in the atmosphere. take in the reality. does it suck? is it boring? maybe it provides the wake up call that shows you what your life and others life experiences really is.

Will you hear others scrolling through TikTok with the sound on? yes.

is the blue line loud without AirPods? yes

breathe it in. look around. notice your neighbors. everything sucks but we aren’t alone.

Today is my birthday and I love getting birthday wishes from friends, my boyfriend, and his family.

But then my family reaches out. I am uncomfortable by it. My father calls me when he needs help with IT and then asks "How are things going?". And I know that he when I say what I am doing he says "great". He has been emotionally avoidant my whole life. Doesn't say a thing when you get past pleasantries in the room. Would rather be busy working. I get a text from him "Happy Birthday!". I get guilt and move past the stress of the notification and reply "Thank you!".

My trump loving family says "Happy Birthday! What are you doing today?". I answer and get a "wow enjoy".

I call my grandma and mom every few weeks because I feel comfortable talking to them. They guilt me into visiting them states away and I usually finesse out of the guilt. Then mom complains about her job and grandma complains about politics.

Family forgets about my hobbies like guitar and singing classes and their questions don't go past "wow that is cool".

They have no hobbies, unless you count my cousins drinking and partying.

My dad's side of the family is 7 states away and I am forbidden from telling them about my boyfriend and how I am a gay man. If I tell them, they may shun me and my parents and daddy's free flow of money from my grandma goes away. It's fucked up. I don't even know if it's true, my mom's mom tells me that my dad only cares about money and his mom pays him monthly because my dad tells everyone how poor he is.

Anyways I say this all out of frustration. I don't like their attention, I find none of it sincere. I feel safe living states away from all of them. In the last few years with therapy I have found ways to not let the guilt eat at me as much.

Anyways, here is to being a classic midwest gay story, a man living without his born into family and enjoying his chosen family.

I am getting 25 to 30 minute waits to go south on western near wilson almost daily anytime from 2 pm to 6 pm as of the last month.

I know the city is picking up and traffic must be too but how is it taking so long considering I live near the end of the 49 line?

I’ve been playing guitar for 3 years. I’ve been taking vocal lessons for 3 years off and on. currently in guitar 3 at old town school of music. I have some friends that jam with me as I do some scales and solo but it’s hard to get them to commit to future play sessions.

i enjoy bands like hot mulligan, Saturdays at your place, carpool, lots of classic rock/90s, pop punk.

can host. I’m 34. I’m 6 foot tall.

Kirby down B

favorite venue is empty bottle

there seems to be one Wikipedia page that details this company.

my thought is that https://pizzeriaunochicago.com concerns the two loop restaurants uno and duo.

and the uno pizzeria and grill is some kind of franchised portion of the company?

https://unos.com/

I’ve read that the franchise deep dish is not as good as the loop deep dish. is this correct?