About that “Don’t go” advice . . .

I have lived in Chicago for more than 35 years and have volunteered with Chicago Greeter for nearly half that time. Purportedly I know the city well. Actually I know only the lakefront from the South Loop to the Evanston border. There are many South and West Side neighborhoods I’ve never been in. 

You know why if you’re a Chicagoan. The South and West Sides are reputedly unsafe. I’ll go to their tourist attractions when public transportation or a car drops me at the door but otherwise stay in my comfort zone. 

When I heard about the book Don’t Go: Stories of Segregation and How To Disrupt It, I wanted to know what the authors have to say to well-intentioned people who perpetuate segregation by staying away from “dangerous” neighborhoods overwhelmingly populated by people of color.  

Preparing for the first months after knee replacement

An estimated one in five Americans is expected to have a knee or a hip replaced at some point. I’ll be one of them as of December 4. 

Recovery time varies; I hope to meet or better the average of three months for knee replacement. For the first three weeks after surgery, when a physical therapist will come to me, I probably won’t go out and may not stand for more than 10 minutes. After that I will go for orthopedic follow-up and physical therapy but don’t yet know what else I’ll be able to do. 

The orthopedic surgeon provided a list of every medical to-do before knee surgery. I’m making another list of what I’ll need at home afterward. Here’s what I’ve thought of so far. If you’ve had a joint replaced, please tell me what else to take care of.

Dismiss theater critics you disagree with, or learn from them?

Note to Chicago Tribune theater critic Chris Jones:

Hi, Chris.

I was surprised by all of the reviews highly recommending Mr. Wolf. 

[Deleted my thoughts about the play, which most readers of this blog probably haven’t seen.]

What I'm really writing about is that my reactions so often don't converge with the critics' that it makes me feel I'm not bright or perceptive, despite evidence to the contrary in other aspects of my life. Or maybe I'm not sophisticated enough for a cutting-edge theater like Steppenwolf. But isn't theater for ordinary folks, too?

Thanks for listening.

Marianne Goss