Walking Journal: Following Color
I left for my walk around 2:40 PM on Monday October 3rd. Starting at my dorm (Belden-Racine Hall) and making a left down Racine then a right down Belden at the intersection.
As I was walking down W Belden, I saw some dark pink flowers that I thought would be a similar color to the pain swatch. At 2:44, I crossed the street to go take a picture of the flowers but before I could do that I saw this pink rubber thing on the side of one of those lyft bikes which I thought was also remotely similar to the pink paint swatch.
I continued to walk down W Belden until it ended. I then turned left on N Greenview Ave which took me out to North Clybourn. On the other side of this intersection I saw a green pole where the paint was weathering off making a lighter shade of green similar to the green on my paint swatch. At 2:53 I ran across the busy street to go take a picture. Once I reached this pole now that I had a better look at what was on it I noticed that there was a sticker that had a similar shades of pink and green of my paint swatches.
Using my paint chips to guide my walk, I realized that it took me to the outside of a Salvation Army. So at around 3:00 I entered the salvation army and decided to shop around for a short while. Because I did not want to take up too much time shopping I limited myself to only looking at the books.
Leaving the Salvation Army at 3:27 I began to back down North Clybourn, making a left down N Greenview Ave and a right on W Belden. I decided to talk on the other side of town to see if I would be able to find more things that match my paint swatches. Walking down W Belden, on the opposite side then the first time, at 3:33 I saw something shiny on the ground. It was some sort of ripped up wrapper or paper. This shriveled up wrapper had some green on it that was a similar shade to my paint swatch.
As I continued to walk down W Belden I turned right on N Sheffield. At 3:42 at the corner of N Sheffield and W Webster I saw a lamp post with green graffiti on it. This was a very similar shade to the green paint swatch I had.
I was also on W Webster at 3:48 when I passed a sign that was advertising the Kelly Ripa Wine Tour, taking place on Saturday October 8th at the Athenaeum Center. The bright pink on this poster was similar to the pink on my paint swatch.
Turning left off W Webster and onto N Fremont Ave I saw a pink plant across the street. I thought it might have been similar in color to the pink paint swatch I had. I crossed the street at 3:54 to get closer to the plant to take a picture. I realized that the house it was in front of was playing music. I could hear it from the outside so it was either from an outside speaker or it was playing really loud from inside the house.
After I reached the end of N Fremont Ave I turned left onto W Belden until I reached my dorm and that is where I ended my walk.
Reading Response: A community’s walkability is needed for building a social capital because the more access people have to walk places the more likely you are able to interact with people, or in other words, build up your social capital.A social capital is any type of “beneficial interaction” people have with each other even if they are strangers. An example of a social capital is, giving someone something that they dropped, opening the door for someone, giving someone directions, saying hello to the people we know (greet our neighbors), etc. Chicago, in comparison to my hometown Brookfield Wisconsin, has a lot more access to sidewalks, walkways, public transportation, public parks, public playgrounds, bikes to rent, scooters to rent, etc. People who live in Chicago have more access to walk, take public transportation, etc. In Brookfield Wisconsin however there is more access or is more normalized to drive from place to place. This community’s (Lincoln Park) walkability factored in my social capital, for example, recently I was going to see the movie “In the Mood For Love ‘’ on Friday for a film 101 assignment and I ran into a few friends at Fullerton station while I was walking there. My friend who was also a film major was also going to see the movie for an assignment so I ended up going with them rather than alone. (225)
