John Hancock

Another exciting tidbit of Chicago was the Hancock Center (1127 feet). This was something I really wanted to do after going to the top of the Bank of America building in Seattle (937 feet) two years ago. So we decided to go to the lounge instead of the observation deck because buying a desert at the lounge actually cost about the same as the observation deck, and it was four stories higher. And delicious.

I didn't quite know what I was in for. When we got off the very fast elevator I was a little dizzy. We walked over to the lounge area and found a table in the corner right up against the glass and that is when I started to feel sick. The lack of any thing in the space around us was what did it. Like there was nothing by which I could position myself on the earth. I sat down and tried to look out the window, but the sickness seemed to increase. My palms started to sweat and I could, for a while, only look at the floor. There is also this certain twinge I get in my groin when I have height issues to deal with.

I have always been one to dream of falling. So heights are something I like to challenge myself with, but only so far. I would never bungee jump. Never ever sky dive. Ever. Well, as I was overcoming my height issues at 1000 feet above the earth, my friend starts to talk about 9/11 and the World Trade Centers. At this point, I plugged my ears, crossed my legs and bent over looking at the floor. I also started humming to myself. I was scared I was going to panic and run out. I was pretty close to letting everyone know they could meet me down at the bottom.

There was also a spider on the outside of the building. We talked about how he was the great, great, great, great, great grandson of the first spider that started climbing up the building several years earlier. Seeing that spider on the outside, and even thinking about it now, makes me twinge.

In the long run I overcame my fear (due in part to the dessert I ordered) and made it out alive. I looked down a few times and marveled that I was staring down at skyscrapers. Overall, I came back with an enormous respect for engineers and architect. The skyscrapers in Chicago are a true wonder and amazing testimonies as to the power of mankind.

Many Workmen

Many workmen

Built a huge ball of masonry

Upon a mountaintop.

Then they went to the valley below,

And turned to behold their work.

"It is grand," they said;

They loved the thing.

Of a sudden, it moved:

It came upon them swiftly;

It crushed them all to blood.

But some had opportunity to squeal.

Stephen Crane (1871-1900)