Who says “big city” people are not caring? Certainly not my elderly aunt and uncle, who recently visited their niece in Chicago.
On a cold, rainy day, my aunt had a heart attack and fell unconscious on a sidewalk in front of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. My uncle, a New Yorker, said he has never been accustomed to kindness from strangers in busy parts of the Big Apple. So imagine his surprise–and gratitude– when a multitude of caring Chicagoans came to my aunt’s aid.
While my cousin performed CPR, many passersby stopped to offer assistance. Some held their umbrellas over my aunt; others laid their coats on her to keep her warm in the freezing rain. Fortunately, the paramedics were not long in coming, and she was quickly taken to a hospital, where she recovered. Even though their trip was shortened by the illness, their positive image of Chicago and its people was firmly established.
Growing up in New York, I frequently would hear Chicago referred to as the “Second City.” But the kindness Chicagoans extended to my aunt and uncle has made my family re-evaluate whether Chicago and its residents are second in any way.
