creative response #1

Dear Lucky Miller,

I have read your story in Studs Terkel’s book “Division Street America”. You seem to be a quiet, observant kind of person. You just sit back and watch everything happen. I’m not sure if you ever join in on the things going on throughout Chicago or if you just sit aside and let it happen, but you seem lonely.

You reminisce about the market a lot. Do you miss those days? I think you remember Chris, the grocer very well because you don’t have many current memories. You walk around the city, a lot of walking, more than people usually do. You could appear as an outsider, until you get into that market. You talk about how Chris’ assistant would chase you around with a feather and how that wouldn’t be allowed today. You remember those good times, I think wishing you could develop good memories like that currently. You don’t talk about a family or friends. Where is your family? You didn’t even mention them when you were little and were going to the market. I find it interesting you mention the assistant picking you up in his arms towards the ceiling. My guess is you miss someone caring about you.

You seem like a very curious person, which in your case is a good thing. Talking about never seeing the other side of the city on the west because you’ve only lived on the east, I can’t help but think you feel stuck. You imagine it being better than where you are. I think you have hopes and dreams for the unknown. You have high expectations, but still say Chicago is ugly. Is it the buildings that make it ugly or is it the people? I think Chicago isn’t too ugly architecturally, but it’s more the people. If you travel to new places, a lot of times the people are much nicer than they are here. People here are rude and not very welcoming. Of course there are those people who are, but overall, the city is pretty rude. It’s so fast paced that people don’t really talk to one other. Everyone is so concentrated on getting to where they need to go, which brings me to what you mentioned about the grocers, just answering questions and providing service.

What you stated about asking where something is and walking away is really true. I don’t think that anyone actually realizes this in the moment, but maybe afterwards. There might be some costumer to costumer conversation, but what about the employees? As you state that many of the owners have to work eighteen hours at a time; I can imagine those owners wanting some conversation. Maybe that’s why they appear to be depressed, they’re lonely. I think you are lonely too. You appear to see things so clearly in other, but not in yourself.

It’s probably a good thing for you to be working at the market now. It can give you more of a social life and you have the chance to interact with other more often. Also, the market sounds like your comfort zone. That could be a bad thing or a good thing. I can see you trying to make the market more of a personal place like it was when you were young. You’ll make the market special for another child. I wish you luck working at the market and everything else life brings you.

Sincerely,
Ariana