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I almost didn't go to Pride this year. Even getting up, I almost just went right back to sleep.
I'm so happy I didn't.
Just being there on that train into the city, with noise all around me and random conversations striking up here and there, I was in my element. Just being some random face in the crowd again, I missed that. There were a few people in the crowd that knew my name, but I didn't run across any of them. In some ways, I'm really happy about that. I like seeing my friends, but I missed that feeling of being solo so much. I said it before, but I tend to miss so much when I have people I know around me. Like, my eyes aren't completely open when I'm around people I know. I'm not the same person; I'm so much more approachable, and so much more outgoing. I think people get to see the real me when I'm alone.
Of course, the train was stopped not once but twice by the cops on the way into Chicago. In all the times I've ridden the train, that has never happened. The woman next to me on the train was telling me about how the last time she rode it something similar happened but someone had been shot. A normal reaction would be one of fear, probably. I kind of just shrugged, laughed, and posted about it on Facebook. What else can you do?
On the L ride there, there was a guy that couldn't even stand up to get off of the L himself. I felt so bad for the Korean tourists in that car with us; they definitely didn't pick the best day to ride the L and probably now think we're batshit crazy here. That's okay.
I moved much farther down to watch the parade this year. Normally, we'd just stick close to Belmont where all the craziness is. This year, I decided to explore closer to the parade start. When I finally decided on a place to stand, I met two people that I don't even know the names of but we spent the parade together, laughing, cheering, and sharing all of our loot with each other. Both of them had also come alone, so that was pretty awesome we all somehow met there. We all said we'd try to meet up right there away next year, so maybe!
Today was exactly what I needed.
I'm so happy I didn't.
Just being there on that train into the city, with noise all around me and random conversations striking up here and there, I was in my element. Just being some random face in the crowd again, I missed that. There were a few people in the crowd that knew my name, but I didn't run across any of them. In some ways, I'm really happy about that. I like seeing my friends, but I missed that feeling of being solo so much. I said it before, but I tend to miss so much when I have people I know around me. Like, my eyes aren't completely open when I'm around people I know. I'm not the same person; I'm so much more approachable, and so much more outgoing. I think people get to see the real me when I'm alone.
Of course, the train was stopped not once but twice by the cops on the way into Chicago. In all the times I've ridden the train, that has never happened. The woman next to me on the train was telling me about how the last time she rode it something similar happened but someone had been shot. A normal reaction would be one of fear, probably. I kind of just shrugged, laughed, and posted about it on Facebook. What else can you do?
On the L ride there, there was a guy that couldn't even stand up to get off of the L himself. I felt so bad for the Korean tourists in that car with us; they definitely didn't pick the best day to ride the L and probably now think we're batshit crazy here. That's okay.
I moved much farther down to watch the parade this year. Normally, we'd just stick close to Belmont where all the craziness is. This year, I decided to explore closer to the parade start. When I finally decided on a place to stand, I met two people that I don't even know the names of but we spent the parade together, laughing, cheering, and sharing all of our loot with each other. Both of them had also come alone, so that was pretty awesome we all somehow met there. We all said we'd try to meet up right there away next year, so maybe!
Today was exactly what I needed.
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no subject
Date: 2014-06-30 01:56 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2014-07-07 05:16 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2014-06-30 05:13 am (UTC)From:Glad you had such a good time!
no subject
Date: 2014-07-07 05:17 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2014-06-30 03:05 pm (UTC)From:What sort loot? I've only been to Pride once in London, though it was more by accident, as I was quite new to town, after the parade was over, though it was still amusing to see the amount of beer bottles and cans scattered over the ground, and the party continuing in Soho.
no subject
Date: 2014-07-07 05:27 pm (UTC)From:Tons of beads, bracelets, sunglasses, and bags. Those were the big 4. There was also quite a bit of coupons, the best of which was Chipotle.
no subject
Date: 2014-06-30 04:11 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2014-07-07 05:29 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2014-07-07 05:33 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2014-07-07 05:29 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2014-07-01 01:07 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2014-07-07 05:29 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2014-07-01 02:14 am (UTC)From:I don't like cops stopping the train twice. It could have been a real need, but there is also too much of this on the increase. Some say that this, like the TSA and so forth, is largely a strategy to make people feel unsafe, needy, and suspect - i.e., more controllable.
You remind me of an LJ friend who hasn't posted in a while, <lj user="dimestore_hippie".
no subject
Date: 2014-07-07 05:32 pm (UTC)From:They did arrest someone. I don't know what it was for, but my guess was drugs. I take the train there all the time and this is the first time it has happened while I've been on there, so I'm hoping it was just extra security people of Pride weekend and not a new normal occurrence.
I always hate when people go missing from LJ, especially when I really like reading what they post. :(
no subject
Date: 2014-07-07 06:51 pm (UTC)From:If they arrested someone on the train, then it was probably reasonable.
I don't have a lot of original LJ friends. People leave because of a spouse, career, boredom, etc. Sometimes they come back after a year or two, like everything is the same. I commented to such a LJ friend and she didn't know who I was. It gets trying, commenting to people when they may instantly be a waste of time - but that's part of life.
Some people leave because of hard times, or passing phases. I wish there was a way to help them other than just wait for them to come back, and hope they are not dead.
no subject
Date: 2014-07-07 02:52 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2014-07-07 05:33 pm (UTC)From: