Sunday Morning Affirmation

      …Continued from yesterday:
      Sunday morning at 7:00 am we checked out of IHSP Chicago...

...and after giving a final  glance to the  sign posted in the hostel's window:

...we began rolling our suitcases along the now-quiet streets of Bucktown

...to the Damen station to catch the train downtown to pick up our Megabus back to Columbus.

Damen station,  Chicago, Sunday, 7:30 am.

    We got off at the Clinton stop  then walked several blocks through downtown...

    ...to our Megabus stop in front of Union Station.
        As we'd arrived 45 minutes early we decided to go to the Dunkin' Donuts across the street from Union Station for some breakfast.

      The store was crowded this early Sunday morning, but had a cheerful, friendly feel thanks to the  gospel music that eminated from the speaker system and the peppy wait staff, a young guy and a lively middle-aged lady who had their own system for rolling out the customers' orders.
    While the youngster rang up the orders and rustled up the drinks the lady, who stood by the food prep area, called to the next person in line:
    "Whatchu want, Baby?"
    As she filled the orders she'd occasionally call back for a clarification:
    "What, you don't want no bacon wit dat egg croissant?"
    "Baby, you want you some cream cheese wit dat bagel?"
    After I placed our order she called back to me, "Now, Sugar, I ain't got but one plain bagel left.  You getchu somethin' else, all right?"
    So Tom ended up getting the last of the plain bagels with his sausage and cheese bagel, while
    I settled for an onion bagel  and a jelly doughnut with an iced tea, with which  I was ultimately quite satisfied.
     Though all the seats in the Dunkin' Donuts were taken, one young man did offer me his.  But I thankfully declined and Tom and I opted to stand and enjoy the window scene of the city's comings goings.

     As we ate and drank together some of our fellow customers struck up conversations with each other or with the friendly food-prep lady, who seemed to have perfected the art of chatting whilst working.
    Some of the customers hummed or sang along to the gospel music.  I didn't know any of the lovely, inspiring  tunes that were playing and so I couldn't sing along, though I would have liked to.  It felt like Sunday morning.
    As we left I thanked our two food providers for the food and for the  music.  I told the food-prep lady that I felt like I was in church.
    "Sugar, you is,"  she replied.

    The view from the window of the Dunkin' Donuts across the street from Union Station, Chicago.