4.02.2009

So...today I protested Chicago's bid for the 2016 Olympic Games. I've already explained the reasoning behind my anti-position in another post, so I won't go into that.

But I will say this:

I took a bus from work to the Federal Plaza, expecting to arrive at something cool, compelling, and powerful. Well, when I stepped off the bus, I noticed plenty of protesters, heard plenty of protest rants, and was happy to observe plenty of news publicity...

but I couldn't help but notice something else:

EVERY, SINGLE OLYMPICS PROTESTER WAS A COMPLETE WEIRDO.

And when I say complete weirdo I mean WEIRDUS MAXIMUS SUPREMUS.

I'm not thinking I'm some slick, cool-ass mf'er that's better than everyone else. I'm not saying that at all. I have a very average approach to life. But I couldn't help but make a physical judgment that everyone protesting was, like...different. There weren't any average Joes. No average Janes. There wasn't one average, everyday-looking person there. Whether it be some weird, unexplainable outfit, or an eccentric hairdo, or just a weirdo personality saying weird things and acting all weird-like. Everyone was weird.

Weird was the word for EVERY aspect of the entire protest. No protester came across as being a sane individual with a strong opinion.

So I'm standing amid all of these weirdos holding signs and shouting things...and I kind of got really embarrassed...like, okay am I TOO a weirdo? I'm here after all...but not at the same time. I almost felt like I didn't belong...not because they didn't fit in with me, but because I didn't fit in with them.

And wait, we're all here for the same reason, so am I just as weird as all of these other people? Is our anti-Olympic opinion SO out of the ordinary? What is going on, where are normal looking people...where is one normal looking person?

Nowhere. Not one. All the normal people were on the outside looking in.

I couldn't understand what was going on.

So I stood around for 10 more minutes, signed some petitions...and slowly crept out of the scene. Got on the El...and went home. To the comfort of my living room where I could watch the weirdos protest on TV.

Is that bad?

Am I bad?

At least I voiced my opinion...allbeit a weird one. Apparently.