Just Around the Corner
- Colleen Briske Ferguson
- 3 hours ago
- 2 min read
What is just around the corner, you ask? Maybe it’s a “boo!”? (It was just Halloween…) Or is it a surprise party…? Or a disaster…? Tons of stuff are just around the corner. But in this case, it was a restaurant.
One of my brothers lived in Chicago for a number of years and while he was there one of our daughters was looking into colleges in the Windy City. So we stayed with him for a few days, and he graciously helped us get around. After one of the college tours, it was solidly after the noon hour, so he said, “Do you want to get something to eat? There’s this great little restaurant right around the corner.” We all nodded yes; we were plenty hungry. College hunting is apparently hard work.
If you know anything about big city living, you know that finding a place to park can be a trial. As we were already parked near the last school, we decided a restaurant “just around the corner” was better walked to. So, we start walking… And walking… And walking. Remember, we were quite hungry by this point, but, lol… We kept walking. We passed restaurant after restaurant… With our stomachs growling and our noses inhaling the smells of food wafting from each restaurant we passed… It was Chicago… There are tons of great places to eat. I would occasionally say (without hope), “Here’s a good-smelling place…” Which my brother always responded, “You will want to eat at this other place. It’s ‘just around the corner.’” Who knew (my brother did) “just around the corner” was actually miles around many corners. But there’s big city life for you!
When we finally got to THE restaurant, our feet were complaining and our bellies grumbling, but we had ARRIVED to “Just Around the Corner.” We ate, and then of course had the walk back to the car. I really didn’t mind the walk; I just didn’t expect Just Around the Corner to be a proper hike, especially since my stomach was ready for a real "just around the corner." Fast forward twenty plus years and one of my husband’s and my favorite sayings is still, “It’s just around the corner.” Whether “it” is or not. We smile conspiratorially and remember a great time with some of our loved ones and traipsing around college campuses… Even if we did do a bit of walking for lunch one day… But naturally, the visit with my brother and daughter overrode any achy muscles or stomach growls.
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