Story of RitA

RitA is Roses in the Alley.

The appearance of a Rose for me (and many others) has always held great meaning. At lunch one day with my Dad, when I told him that I wanted to be a writer, he pointed to a painting of a Rose on the wall next to our table. This was significant because I can probably count on one hand how many times just the two of us have sat down to lunch. He let me know that that was a sign. My first noteworthy experience with the Rose.

Ever since that day, on several occasions, when I’ve really needed a sign and I’m fully awake, a Rose has appeared. The most remarkable of those times happened in Chicago late at night on a walk with my beagle. This is where the name Roses in the Alley takes root…

I was walking my Beagle (Theo) fairly late at night in Chicago when he spotted a rabbit (Yes , there are rabbits in Lincoln Park). Having a particularly good amount of clarity that night, I looked up and said “God, Theo was meant to chase rabbits. Let him lead the way and show me what I was meant to do.”

Theo obliged.

We walked down city streets and around corners. I had lost sight of the rabbit, but Theo was on it! Finally, the rabbit and the hound brought us to a crossroads of sorts. I hadn’t a clue which way the rabbit had gone. It was either stay straight on the well-lit sidewalk, or head down a fairly dark Alley.

Theo, sniffer to the ground, decided that our white-tailed friend had turned down the way of the Alley. So, nervously, we proceeded. Determined to catch up. Theo dragged me down that Alley until we noticed a turn. Almost trembling at this point, my trusty Beagle pulled me around that corner.

What we saw on the other side was nothing short of astounding. A streetlight shining down revealed……next to the back of an Irish bar in Chicago…growing out of a brick wall…a Rosebush!!

Thank you,Theodore, you certainly did what you were born to do, buddy!!

Welcome to Roses in the Alley. Let’s discover Truth and Beauty together!

Shawn Metivier