Description

My Happy Place

From my early days, Chicago, Illinois, has always been a wonderful destination for our family. My grandmother, who hailed from Little Rock, Arkansas, had six daughters. As adults, five of them settled in Chicago while my mother moved to New York City. She was always visiting her sisters and once in a while, she would send me to Aunt Margaret’s for the summer, who had about 12 kids (yeah, I didn’t stutter).

You see, Chicago has its own language. You have to be given the OK by someone in their neighborhood to move about freely. However, on every visit to Chicago, someone from Aunt Margaret’s large family was always there to ensure my safety. They loved their Auntie Jane from New York, so whenever I was in Chicago, I was under their protection.

I had heard of a giant neighborhood celebration that takes place in summertime at Hyde Park entitled “The Silver Room Block Party.”  It was the summer of 2019 and I arrived a few days early at my cousin Billie’s apartment, which wasn’t far from the event. The day before the shoot, I had my cousin Jackie take me over to survey the area. The following day, there were hundreds of activities taking place on streets lined with vendors on both sides, from finger and face painting activities to African and modern dancing, etc. Local companies, along with government organizations, had booths to provide kids with back-to-school giveaways.

A block up and to the right of the entrance, a musical performance was taking place. The robust beating of marching drums gave way to the softness of a violin and cello performance, entertaining the audience with soothing melodies and tranquil notes. This lovely young girl on cello had found a place in her life where creativity and carefree freedom meant something as she commanded the attention of young and old alike. After her performance, turning to her mother for approval, with glee in her eyes and happiness in her heart and a smile that was genuine, solidifying her ‘Happy Place!’