Finding Paint Samples Outside
As I walked out the Arts and Letters Hall with my two paint chips in hand and the wind blowing my hair into my eyes, I did a 360 and tried to figure out where to go. The names of the colors I had were “Raffia Cream” and “China Doll.” At first I had thought they were very common colors and would be easy to match but as I started walking with my eyes searching for any object to match them, I realized I never paid much attention to colors around me before. I circled around the corner of Kenmore and Belden in an attempt to find something that would match and after five minutes or so, spotted some lettering on nearby trash cans that I believed matched “China Doll.”
As it is more of an ivory color, things that I had normally thought would match with it would in fact, upon closer inspection, not match and I realized how difficult it is to find things that are truly not white, as it seems that almost everything is. Surrounded by students working on their laptops or talking to friends, I wondered what any onlookers may think as they saw me taking pictures of a trash can. Not wanting to hang around much longer, I took a right on Belden and walked towards the quad, where I searched through the grass and bushes for any flowers that I could perhaps match with the paint samples. Once again there were students sitting on benches and tables and walking along the path all around me and I observed how everyone seemed to be busy or in a hurry and that no one took some time to admire the flowery bushes spread throughout the area. In the search of matching colors outside, I was beginning to appreciate the beauty of nature that many of us have a tendency to otherwise overlook. After many failed attempts, I finally found some flowers in a bush near the quad gates that had a mixture of different colored petals, with some of the petals having the exact color I was in search of.
I found the mix of light pink and ivory to be absolutely gorgeous, and the fact that I found it in nature made searching for the color while out on a week even more enjoyable. Trying to find flowers that would match the other color I had as well, I exited the quad and peered at the bushes lining Fullerton Avenue; however, none of them seemed to be a match. I walked down Fullerton and made a right on Kenmore, where I again walked to the outdoor seating area near Arts and Letters. I then realized that the path had some colors in it that matched my “Raffia Cream” paint sample.
To be completely honest, I didn’t realize how pretty the path was until I held this pretty paint sample next to it. I’ll definitely never be seeing it the same again. Right after I got done admiring the ground my eyes went to the seating area right next to me, where two girls were sitting with their laptops in front of them. I tried to inconspicuously take a picture of the cement without looking like too much of a weirdo, all because the shade of it was similar to what I was looking for.
I then told myself to hurry away because I took a picture of the ground and then a picture of the cement in front of people who were probably pretty baffled by now, but lo and behold, just as I was about to leave a flower caught my eye.
Once again the little petals with a hint of a different color from the rest of the flower were a perfect match. Interestingly enough, in both flower pictures the overall shade is darker than the shade I was looking for but there is a noticeable lighter shade that is just right. I thought it was pretty cool that in the first flower the overall color was light pink and lighter shade was ivory and here, the darker shade is hot pink and lighter shade is what I was looking for. Without having to search for objects to match my paint samples I may have never made such observations about nature, and believe that everyone should walk outside with the intention of taking in small details that may otherwise be overlooked.
I turned around and headed back down Kenmore and turned right onto Fullerton, walking towards Sheffield. I needed my last picture for “Raffia Cream” and was walking down Sheffield now with my eyes darting around for anything that could match. Just when I thought I wouldn’t be able to find anything there I noticed a girl walking in front of me whose backpack was the exact shade as my paint sample, and despite the fact that she was a bit far, I was able to capture the color of her bag pretty well.
Searching for and finding several objects to match the color of two paint samples was very interesting for me because I believe that doing so forced me to pay more attention to the colors and details all around me. Oftentimes we may otherwise overlook the pretty little details in flowers or tiles that showcase a myriad of beautiful colors. Our world is not as black-and-white as we may think it to be and it is our job to actively seek out the beauty and colors around us.
Social capital is the ability of members of a community to come together and live in cooperation. According to Malchik in “March,” a city’s walkability is a very important factor of the city’s social capital because the ability of residents to walk freely around the streets of the city can make or break how the social atmosphere and infrastructure of the city is. For example, with more pedestrian-friendly streets and sidewalks, more people will be walking on them and thus keeping the city’s economy thriving as they go in shops, restaurants, and public parts. I believe that Chicago’s infrastructures and public spaces such as the CTA have made walkability very easy for me, as I personally feel like it is efficient and a reliable source of transport for me. Such infrastructure has resulted in me using it more, whether for school purposes or leisure activities, and I in turn contribute to the social capital as I am one of many who use such public infrastructure and make use of public spaces in ways that foster more walking in the city. This in turn leads to more people using them and walking the city, which in turn then makes the city more walkable for me as I rely on the infrastructure and walkability of the streets based on such infrastructure and the presence of other people to thus contribute to the social capital of Chicago. (234)
