Remarkable Chicago

It was warm when I left Sydney. A friend did suggest that I pack for snow … but really, it is October, and even Chicago does not have snow in October.

Coming from a country where snow is rare means that any snowfall is miraculous. It also means that I have no idea how COLD snow makes things. Well, I know that snow is cold, but that knowledge does not have an innate connection to understanding. So, sitting in an office on the 21st floor, I was watching with wonder at the clouds closing in (yes Mr Armano … even snow clouds can be wonderous) … and then the wind hit and a flurry of snow slapped the windows. I laughed. It was great!

But then I had to go outside. The cold wind hit me like a fist. My light coat was no shield and I watched as the snow hit and melted into the fabric. I knew it was cold and I knew it was snowing … yet still I smiled at the unpredictable weather. I smiled also at my own willingness to suspend belief …

There are many things that we can “know” in this world. But if a message has to break through to us, it needs to work not only on the level of fact. It needs to work experientially. It has to thrill our senses. It has to give us goosebumps.

After all, we are all seekers of unexpected experiences. Whether it is a snow storm or something more manufactured, it is the experience of a moment that creates a memory. That is what is remarkable.

S.

One thought on “Remarkable Chicago

  1. Good to have you in the States. Only wish we could get together. Des Moines is not all that far from Chicago.
    Your lesson is spot on.
    Life changing messages are about more than the facts.
    Keep creating…Mike

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