A Not-So-Hypothetical Situation
Say you were to take a two-hour-long stroll around Madison, Wisconsin, from the Capitol Square to Willy Street, then to Atwood Ave., finally curving around Lake Monona, on a Saturday afternoon. You’d set off, say, around 6 p.m. What would you see?
Probably a few front yard barbecues, complete with parents singing and children dancing. You will certainly see people smoking on their front porches, but if you’re really lucky, you’ll hear someone playing a ukulele on their balcony, too.
You’ll see dozens of flourishing gardens and bunches of ungainly sunflowers-but they’ll still make you smile. You’ll peek in through the dim windows of cafes to see people reading, or hunched over their laptops. You’ll see people of all ages and fitness levels riding bicycles; some will be in spandex body suits, and some will be trailing milk crates stacked with library books and groceries. All will say “hi” to you.
You’ll see people walking the family dog, and at least one stray cat. You may see an elderly couple holding hands on the way to evening mass; if this is true, I hope you are charmed by the sight of a church bonnet.
You may get gravel between your toes from all the construction, but nothing can take the green out of this city. And if you happen to have boobs, you may get a few catcalls from jerks in trucks. If you do see those jerks, give them the finger for me. Then keep walking.
But it’s all worth it, because you will see one fucking amazing sunset across the bay. You will see why I love Madison.
Probably a few front yard barbecues, complete with parents singing and children dancing. You will certainly see people smoking on their front porches, but if you’re really lucky, you’ll hear someone playing a ukulele on their balcony, too.
You’ll see dozens of flourishing gardens and bunches of ungainly sunflowers-but they’ll still make you smile. You’ll peek in through the dim windows of cafes to see people reading, or hunched over their laptops. You’ll see people of all ages and fitness levels riding bicycles; some will be in spandex body suits, and some will be trailing milk crates stacked with library books and groceries. All will say “hi” to you.
You’ll see people walking the family dog, and at least one stray cat. You may see an elderly couple holding hands on the way to evening mass; if this is true, I hope you are charmed by the sight of a church bonnet.
You may get gravel between your toes from all the construction, but nothing can take the green out of this city. And if you happen to have boobs, you may get a few catcalls from jerks in trucks. If you do see those jerks, give them the finger for me. Then keep walking.
But it’s all worth it, because you will see one fucking amazing sunset across the bay. You will see why I love Madison.