The Ultimate Chicago Guy!

Tony Fitzpatrick is a Chicago Guy. He's in the mold of Terkel, Royko, Nelson Algren. A tough guy, close to the street, close to the heartbeat of the city. He's also an accomplished artist and writer. He writes a column called "Dime Stories," for New City, a free newspaper about the Chicago arts and culture.

His column is a must-read. Always shines a light; it always glows with his wit, intelligence and unique perspective. Fitzpatrick's voice comes through in perfectly realized sentences. You can't wait to see what's on his mind.

Anyway, as he writes about here, recently, he had a heart attack. We almost lost the man. We learn lots of things in this little column. Two St. Joseph's aspirin probably saved his life. It's a good idea to have your own bottle in the cupboard, just in case. Also, Obamacare really is life-changing legislation. If it wasn't for Obama's health reform, Fitzpatrick would not have had insurance and well, maybe he wouldn't have gotten the care that brought him back from the brink of death.

No longer can you be refused because of "preexisting conditions." Fitzpatrick's story is a tale of recovery, and hope.  Godspeed Mr. Fitzpatrick. So glad you made it! And thank you too Barack Obama!