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Ernest Rodriguez' "Impressions," 1960s-1980s
Impressions Page 1
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IMPRESSIONS I got on the Madison Street bus with my air cushion seat I used while driving a cab. I sat down on one of the side seats right in back of the driver. As the bus traveled west on Madison I looked out the window opposite me. It was a human garbage dump. There was winos sitting on the curb with pints of muscatel talking and muttering and swearing in their senseless, delirious high. Others were sprawled in doorways like dead men. Some had urinated and their pantlegs were soaked. Swarms of flies kept them company in their drunken stupor. Up ahead I could see the black wagon. Two cops were throwing a wino in the back. One had him under the arms and the other by the legs. They threw him in with the routine manner of trash collectors. If one of the winos woke up and in his drunken craze resisted the cops they would beat him with their billy clubs. I watched this scene I knew would stretch on for six or seven more blocks until I got off at the Chicago Stadium where I stayed at rundown hotel . I despaired. I felt homesick and lonely. I was bored and disgusted with the whole damn world. I said to myself, "What's the use." I glanced up at the placards above the windows of the bus to read the ads. Probably to escape the dismal human waste and misery on the street. As near as I can remember the placard said something like "Have you lost hope. Do you want faith?. There was a pocket holding some leaflets. A sign said FREE TAKE ONE. I took one and leafed through it. It was about a correspondence course in the Catholic faith. When I got to my hotel room I filled out the mail order blank and sent it in. A few days later I received a paperback book. It explained the Catholic religion using the bible as a reference and
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IMPRESSIONS I got on the Madison Street bus with my air cushion seat I used while driving a cab. I sat down on one of the side seats right in back of the driver. As the bus traveled west on Madison I looked out the window opposite me. It was a human garbage dump. There was winos sitting on the curb with pints of muscatel talking and muttering and swearing in their senseless, delirious high. Others were sprawled in doorways like dead men. Some had urinated and their pantlegs were soaked. Swarms of flies kept them company in their drunken stupor. Up ahead I could see the black wagon. Two cops were throwing a wino in the back. One had him under the arms and the other by the legs. They threw him in with the routine manner of trash collectors. If one of the winos woke up and in his drunken craze resisted the cops they would beat him with their billy clubs. I watched this scene I knew would stretch on for six or seven more blocks until I got off at the Chicago Stadium where I stayed at rundown hotel . I despaired. I felt homesick and lonely. I was bored and disgusted with the whole damn world. I said to myself, "What's the use." I glanced up at the placards above the windows of the bus to read the ads. Probably to escape the dismal human waste and misery on the street. As near as I can remember the placard said something like "Have you lost hope. Do you want faith?. There was a pocket holding some leaflets. A sign said FREE TAKE ONE. I took one and leafed through it. It was about a correspondence course in the Catholic faith. When I got to my hotel room I filled out the mail order blank and sent it in. A few days later I received a paperback book. It explained the Catholic religion using the bible as a reference and
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