George was up with me early on Friday. He had the day off from school and likes to take adventures into the city on his vacation days.
He packs a bag with his cameras, film and lenses and gets on the Metra. Yesterday he was on the 5:24 out of Riverside that arrives at Union Station before six o'clock.
George won’t become the next Barry Butler and that is because George sees Chicago a little differently. George sees our great city on the lake through the Spectrum. His angles and lighting are different than Barry Butler’s. His subjects are different and George does it all on film. He told me one time that digital forgives, film doesn’t.
He wanted to go down on October sixth and catch the sunrise on the lake. He wanted to take a picture of the Chicago Theater in the light of dawn and he wanted to snap a shot of The Bean under construction.
That is the beauty of looking through the Spectrum. Somehow George will find an angle with a construction cone in front of Cloud Gate. He will see the hard edges of the scaffolding reflecting off of the Bean and somehow make it look like the Eiffel Tower.
George will then walk over to the CTA and see rapid transit through the Spectrum. He might go up to Skokie or over to O’Hare. He might go down to Midway.
Wherever his adventure takes him, he will capture it on film. He will record Chicago in early October of 2023 in a way we wouldn’t have.
My Georgie has come a long way since eating wood chips at the playground.
On his way home he will stop at the McDonald’s inside of Union Station. He will get his same meal that costs $13.57. George likes that McDonald’s because everyone knows him there. Even though his father has told him it’s more expensive at that location.
Typical Shepley, everyone knows us wherever we go. All the conductors on the Metra. All of the Motormen on the CTA. Even the guys at the cigar shop know Little Jumbo.
George won’t be Barry Butler…
…Because he will be too busy being George Shepley, Film photographer on the Autistic Spectrum.
Oh baby! We have a gorgeous autumn Saturday right here for the taking. Ireland versus Scotland this afternoon. I hope they manage a score that enables them both to move on to the next round. Knocking current champion, South Africa out of the tournament.
I definitely have a hotdog on my dance card today.
Get out there you Chalkheads and put the smile on the sun…
