you can be many colors, but i like it when you're blue

i have always felt a connection with the lake. it began in college, when i would go to Piper Hall (this gorgeous old house on the edge of campus that had been converted for university use), and sit on its sprawling balcony, mere feet away from the lake. i could spend hours just gazing at the water, and it never failed to inspire me. i felt that this time, sitting by the lake, was one of the most creative periods of my life.

one of the things i love about chicago is that the lake is for everyone. for various reasons, most of the lakefront has been preserved as public park. downtown, it will never be encroached upon; the ground cannot support buildings. and therefore the lake is public domain. thousands of feet of green grass and trees and bike paths and benches. you don't have to buy anything to own the lake.

and for years now, i have known that it is mine.

when i sit by the lake, i realize that things are simple. i feel every single one of my years; yet i feel as young as a morning. i am able to forget small issues and weed out things that aren't working for me. i feel as supported as i do after a conversation with devon/farida/meryam.

i don't know what it is about this endless body of water that affects me, but i have come to regard it almost as a familiar face.