chicago

I have good vibrations for chicago. At least, that's what Rubee told me.
I met Rubee at a subway station in chicago last march. I was headed to O'hare later that day and had already checked out of my dorm room in Hyde Park, so I had all my stuff with me: backpack, bed roll, side bag, and a few other accessories. I was leaning against a pillar waiting for the train.
"That's what I like to see," Rubee said to me as I was perplexing over a subway map. "A traveling man."
He was dressed all in black in what was obviously religious garb of some sort, though I couldn't quite place it. He wore a black turban on his head and wore a long shirt that split at the waist and hung down to his knees in two skirt-like flaps in front and in back, sort of like Hari Krishna often wear. He had spiked, silver piercings in each nostril and several below his lower lip. He wore dark glasses, even in the subway tunnel.
"I'm trying to get to Northwestern," I replied.
"North, on the purple line," he replied.
He gave a flick of his wrist, cooly motioning me over to him so he could show me on the map. I took a seat next to him on station bench.
"Are you a student?" he asked.
"Yeah," I replied. "I'm checking out different grad schools and want to see Northwestern while I'm in Chicago."
That seemed to catch his interest and he inquired further. He perked up when I told him I'm studying U.S. religious history and am interested in religious studies generally.
"Studying religion, huh? My man, my man."
He spoke slow and smooth. Every word was chosen and articulated carefully, weighed and balanced before it was deemed satisfactory and let go. I had to strain to hear at times; he spoke softly, regardless of background noise, with a detached, laid back sort of cool.
I glanced down at the map.
"Have you been to the Bahai temple?" I asked.
"Oh yeah," he replied.
"Is it worth seeing?"
"One of seven in the world; only one in North America. You should go."
A distant rumble grew louder in the tunnel and soon the train pulled up. We boarded together. The train was packed so we stood in the doorway. I grabbed a ceiling ring and braced for departure. He stood cooly and swayed slightly as a the train took off.
"Chicago is a great city for religion," he told me. "There's folks of all stripes here."
"I've noticed."
"The parliament of religions was here during the world's fair in 1893," he told me. "Religions from around the world all converged here in chicago."
"Except mormons," I added.
"Really?"
"Yeah, they applied, but were denied a seat."
"I didn't know that," he replied. "You Mormon?" he asked.
"Yeah," I replied.
He looked surprised.
"Mormons would have a hard time in this city," he told me.
He seemed to be looking me over, as if this new revelation warranted a new assessment. "But I think you should study here; you have a good vibe for chicago."
"Maybe I will."
"This is my stop," he said as he handed me a business card.
I looked down at the card: "Rubee Blackriver, yoga instructor."
"Yoga, huh?" I said. "I just talked to wife twenty minutes ago and she was doing yoga."
"Cosmic," he said. "Give me a call, and visit the Bahai temple."



Bahai Temple, Chicago