7.10-11.15: PAUL FILIPPI
Paul may or may not be a human being. It has actually never been proven that he is not from another planet. All I know is that he either is an alien or an anthropologist of aliens. There has been found in his possession, thousands, if not millions of detailed alien-like drawings that are much too intricate to be figments of the imagination.
If he is not one of them himself, he is the greatest anthropologist of aliens the world has ever known. Below are a couple pages from his days on earth in "coffee shops" and at "outdoor festivals" with "friends". He has even transcribed his own scribblings below, if you have a hard time deciphering the babble:
Paul Filippi
Chicago, Illinois.
~
Day 1, July 10th.
I awake slightly hung over around 9 AM, use the bathroom and go back to sleep.
Sometime around 11 I wake up again, lay in bed for a while and think about a realization I had recently about life being in a state of perpetual transition and that satisfaction is an impossibility. I then contemplate the opposite, a world in which one could become perfectly satisfied by something/anything, would then be thus static and dead. And so embracing this idea (for me at least) when I wake up gives me a bit of peace, keeping with things being ever changing without holding onto them helps me enjoy life a little more amidst the rampant “dogmas of attainment” within society (both spiritual and secular)…
With that, I take a shower, get dressed and eat some honey via spoon for breakfast. It’s pretty nice and hot out so I ride my bike to New Wave café for some coffee. They have a pretty nice patio there. I somewhat randomly picked up the Tibetan Book of the Dead and am really quite diggin’ it. Taken figuratively it is strangely paralleling what is currently going on in my life. Again the idea of transition (i.e.-The “Bardo”) and bla bla bla.
It’s hot on this patio and I love it. I’m pretty much wearing all black today which is helping me soak up even more sun. I hate being cold and winter in Chicago is straight garbage. (Also drinking a hot coffee). I would usually be drawing here at the café, but I’ve decided to take a break from art for a while and let my most recent stuff simmer for a bit. Below are a few examples of what I’ve done over the last month or so.
Just had a surge of energy so I decided to go for a bike ride on the “Sky Bridge” AKA the 606, AKA the Bloomingdale Trail. I like to sit on the Damen overpass, here’s a photo. It’s one of the only places you can be up high in the area. Gives a bit of relief.
Was supposed to meet my Dad for lunch but his car broke down and he couldn’t come out to the city. I ended up meditating for a while, ate some oatmeal, and then rode to the loop for the Taste of Chicago. Right now I’m sitting by the Buckingham Fountain and think I am going to explore around for a while and possibly grab some grub. It’s 6:14 PM.
Didn’t stay at the Taste for long, couldn’t bring myself to buy tickets to buy food. I’m a little bit north of North Avenue Beach now, on the first pier to the left. I come here a lot, alone and with my pals. It’s a nice spot away from the chaos just south of it.
Headed back to the apartment around sunset and got a chicken burrito, proceeded to eat it and then went for a walk around the neighborhood. There’s a charge in the air, as to be expected for a warm Friday summer night. Got a call from my good friend Cheyenne and went to meet her at the Rocking Horse, which has become one of my favorite bars/restaurants to go to. It has become a “go to”.
On the walk there a girl parked in an SUV yelled at me and said “Show me your nipples!” To which I jovially replied “No!”. As I was walking away she also said “Well now I’m saaad.” To which I further replied, “Sooorrry.” The whole thing was quite odd, but I felt pretty good about the fluidity and spontaneity of my responses.
Anyways, I stayed at Rocking Horse for a while and drank a couple beers with Cheyenne. My Gemini brother Ross also showed up and we all hung out for a spell. It was a nice time, which it usually is.
Around 1ish we headed out and Ross (who is also my roommate) and I ended up sitting on the back porch and had a couple more drinks with the upstairs neighbors (Zach and Vinnie), chatted for a while and that was pretty much that. Went to sleep around 4.
~
Day 2- I awake, have a beer like that cliché Doors song and then listen to The Sword’s Lament of the Auroch and some Devil Makes Three. All of which I wouldn’t have known about it if weren’t for my other brother and sage Dusty.
Went to get some coffee with Ross and then met up with my Dad to hang out. We all then went to “Le Tour De Fat” festival in Palmer’s square and had a pretty good time. Was the first time in a while I got to spend some decent about of time with my Dad and think he had a pretty good time as well.
After my Dad left, I watched a shit zombie flick with Ross and then went to get some more coffee at Café Mustache. After sitting and reading at the café for a while I decided to go for a drift and ended up at the “West Fest” on Chicago Ave and Wolcott. (The same fest we all were at last year Heather!) They had some decent bands playing this time around, particularly this older punk band that I can’t remember the name of.
From there I met up with Ross, Kei and Cheyenne and ended up at the Rocking Horse again. And here I sit. Finished up the evening with Ross and Kei at the apt. Listened to a lot of Miles Davis and some top notch blues. It was a very quality and insightful evening.
~
Day 3- Sunday; I arise around 10:00 feeling pretty good. I bike up the New Wave for coffee again and journal for a bit. Sorting through the ideas and insights from the night prior. On Sundays there is always a farmer’s market on the street next to the café, it’s really a really pleasant environment, some good people watching, etc. Sitting here listening to a good dose of the Talking Heads.
After walking around the farmer’s market for a little while I rode up the Sky bridge and read did some more reading of the Tibetan Book of the Dead. Started to get hungry so I went to Sultan’s Market and had a Baba Ganoush and Vimto cola and it was delicious.
After Sultan’s I rode my bike into Wicker Park/the park itself to lay down and digest. While there I witnessed these two guys get into an absurd argument, and one of the guys ended up smashing the other’s guitar. They yelled at each other for a while and it eventually petered out. It was pretty strange and kind of seemed artificial/scripted. (Which got me thinking about the essence of violence as such being boring, predictable, and insubstantial at its root.)
Still here, pretty enjoyable and mellow now. The people next to me are playing some nice electronic/ambient music on their boom-box.
Shortly after I ended up back at West Fest again, wandered around, and listened to a couple bands. After about a few hours I headed back to the apt and took a nap. I think I am going to stay in for the night. It’s been a pretty full weekend and could use some rest. Maybe I’ll watch a movie. Adios
Go to the Playing by the Hours Blog here to read a FB chat I had with Paul concerning cosmic turnings and creative endeavors.