Pink and Planes
This weekend I flew home for my birthday and so I decided to explore O’Hare Airport. The airport is the gateway to Chicago, welcoming people into the arms of the city and saying goodbye to those leaving. It’s almost like a miniature city within Chicago except it’s all under one roof. So what better place to do my color walk than while waiting for the plane.
After going through security, I began to notice all the sights and sounds of the airport. The path to my gate started with a long walkway filled with colorful lights and walls. It felt like I was transported to a completely different place, like a cave illuminated with rainbow lights. The neon ceiling lights playfully danced to the sounds of chiming bells, while the colorful walls were softly lit embracing me in their coziness. Once I reached the end, I turned around and followed it in the opposite direction to feel the wonder of the tunnel again. As I reached the other end, I saw a section that matched my color so I snapped a picture. It doesn’t look completely correct because of the multicolored lights but this section was definitely more pink than red.
As I followed the escalators out of the colorful tunnel, I saw a sign advertising a music conservatory in Chicago. I was surprised to find a singular pink dot on the sign that perfectly matched the darker paint chip. I took a picture. The sign was interesting as it felt like it had two different textures. The smooth, shiny, clean glass which overlaid the thin paper of the sign.
As I continued walking, I could feel the crowds of fellow travelers brushing past, often feeling in the way as I was observing my surroundings hunting for colors. I stopped at a news/media store where I saw a kids section. I was drawn to the brightness of the colors and spied pink among the erasers, pens and stationery. It reminded me of when I was a kid, and loved these types of things.
At this point I was getting hungry and made my way to the food court. The sights, sounds and smells were overwhelming. I immediately noticed a hot dog stand sign that said “Chicago Hot Dog.” It reminded me how much I love hot dogs and my first visit to Chicago. On the trip, my family and I ate at Portillo’s and the hot dog was amazing. I realized how serious Chicagoans take their hot dogs. The sign had the perfect shade of pink so I quickly took a picture.
In the food court, there was also a McDonalds. As I approached, the thought of chicken nuggets and fries was appetizing. As I gazed at the menu, I was disappointed to discover they were only serving breakfast. However I noticed that the sign matched my paint chips, so I took another picture.
I was now famished and selected a ham and cheese sandwich at another shop. Not a fan of tomatoes, I was removing them when I realized that the ham matched the paint chips. I knew I had to take a picture.
Normally when I am in an airport I am focused on getting to my gate, weaving in and around the throngs of people. Being able to take the time to explore O’Hare, I saw it is more than just a gate to pass through, it is an introduction to Chicago and its identity.
Social Capital is the network of relationships of people in a city or basically the foundations of all interactions in a city. Chicago’s walkability has factored extremely well into its social capital. I think part of that reason is because, in my experience, “walking distance” in Chicago is defined as not having to take the train. So since everyone walks in this city it allows for more relationships to be created. Chicago’s public parks support walkability by providing a safer space for people to walk or just sit and relax. I’ve found that the quad is where I have the most interactions with strangers. Just today for example a man told us not to wear our masks outside, and another time I had a nice conversation with a music student playing guitar in the quad. I experience so many things that I would not have otherwise if the quad did not exist. (152)
