Prairie+Pagoda(cont.)
As much as I intended to, in this work, perform the noble task of social spy work on the upper-middle class suburbs of Chicago, I cannot neglect that at the same time, I am constructing a cognizant tour of Elmhurst, IL. I never dreamed of physically returning with any permanence, nor did I imagine my creative thought would be tirelessly circling the neighborhood. I have gone from feeling resentment, to nothingness (by way of ambivalence) to a rather bootlegged attempt at defending this place (defending from who? And what does it mean to defend a place//a memory?).
Perhaps this defense proves an extraordinary upbringing--a childhood not gone to waste, or at the very least seen through understanding and artful eyes. A snowballing mass of banality, boredom, giving way to a metamorphosis from the mundane routine of a child in Middle America. To turn my past into something grand and in doing so, focus my attention forward.
I suppose we should begin with a rather common suburban phenomena, as it is also my most feared version of suburbia. This American icon, and famed sensation, is the star of various movies, transcending genre, repeatedly offering us the same idea: eternal sameness. Whether we are romanticizing the idea, or setting out to destroy it, it’s there. A time-fetish simultaneously alleviating and inducing all worries that things will/could/can change. They will not. We can detach ourselves from anything and everything. Eternal sameness; life in a snowglobe. With this idea in mind, I present you with:
Ode to a Hot Dog with Everything (Chicago Style):
Boiled,
All-Beef Frankfurter
Poppyseed Bun
Yellow Mustard
Chopped, Raw White Onion
Bright Green Sweet Pickle Relish
Dill Pickle Spear
Two Slices of Tomato
Two Pickled Sport Peppers
--Secret Ingredient--
Dash of Celery Salt
No ketchup will be offered, let alone present. This is a canonical recipe. We aficionados agree, ketchup is unacceptable.
*Note: As an alternative to boiling your frankfurter, you may steam. On a very rare occasion, you may grill over charcoal.