We got away this past summer’s weekend to the big city of Chicago — my first visit in about 30 years (yikes!).  It was a wonderful and fascinating time, filled to the brim with new sights and experiences.  One of the lasting impressions I came away with is the city’s appreciation for art and architecture.  Art and sculpture is found everywhere, with people experiencing it firsthand.  Whether young or old there was a fascination with the Cloud Gate at Millennium Park (shown here in the photo) or the Crown Fountain, which afforded a chance to cool off on a hot summer’s day.  We took in a Cubs game at Wrigley Field, where the neighborhood lives and breathes baseball and history, and we enjoyed a river cruise by the Chicago Architecture Foundation.  What a perfect way to learn about the history of Chicago, the building and rebuilding of the city, and the pride that permeates nearly every city block.  The weekend renewed my belief in the importance of art and its ability to connect with people of all ages and backgrounds.  No matter what verbal language is spoken, what ethnic background, what age, there is no better way to communicate than with a visual work of art, a true universal language all its own.