Hawks win!

©2013 Meg McCart

So last night I was strolling down Hubbard near LaSalle, saw some folks sitting outside and watching the game through the windows of a bar. I asked how the Hawks were doing, they were down 2-1. I said, "For now." The guy was nervous that there were only 2 minutes left. I told him that was plenty of time.

Before I reached the end of the block, all the bars near me erupted in cheers. I stood on the corner, waiting for the light. By the time the light changed, another cheer went up, much louder. Cars honked and cabbies waved to each other as I crossed the street. "Go Hawks!" echoed up and down the street. I turned south on LaSalle, and two blocks away the whole city erupted around me. Horns, cheers, and (almost immediately) sirens rang out in the night. Our boys did it again.

I moseyed back to the subway. A guy with a British accent asked directions to Union Station. He was distracted with texting someone and seemed confused about the honking and shouting. I told him "our team won the hockey championship." He said, "Already? Good on them. Go Hawks." A crowd of revelers lurched by. "They went, man! They already went!" someone called to the lost Brit.

All the way back to the subway, there was honking and cheering. Cabbies and bicyclists high-fiving each other at red lights. Rich white people returning calls of "Go Hawks!" to homeless people. Everyone was beaming. That walk last night will be, by far, one of my favorite city memories of all time.

©2013 Meg McCart