Chicago calls itself the “second city”. Ostensibly, the first city in America is New York, and Chicago comes in second.
That is a terrible way to look at things. Why should you imply that you are second best, or worse, not good enough?
Futhermore, no one thinks of Chicago as the #2 city in the country. Maybe they did once, but not now. If there is a second city, it would be Los Angeles.
But why does there have to be a second city? Why identify like that? Chicago is our premiere midwestern city, and that is something to be proud of. It has a special vibe and pace of its own. It’s useless to try to compete with something that is too different to even attempt a comparison.
This applies to you, too. Don’t try to be like anyone else. Just do you. No one else can do it as well as you can. Look what Garrison Keillor did for small town Minnesota. He made it into a very familiar and yet almost magical place.
Here’s my Chicago story. It shows what needless comparison can do to a city:
I was in Chicago on business and I got on a city bus. I asked the driver if the bus was going to the art museum. He didn’t seem to know. So I turned to the people on the bus, and in my NY mode of zip-zip timing so as not to hold up the passengers, asked them if this bus went to the art museum. No one answered. Finally, I asked “How do I get to the art museum?” No one answered, but one man yelled out “Get off and walk!” Okay, that was it. I no longer cared if I was holding anyone up. I turned to face the passengers and announced “I’m from New York and I’m going to remember this.” The moment they heard the words “New York”, they all started jeering. Chicago resents New York for being the #1 city–a moniker I reject. I got off the bus and got into a taxi.
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