No Laughing Matter Explicit

Pito Rodriguez - Guest on irRegular People, Episode 4 - No Laughing Matter

In this episode of irRegular People we’re joined by Pito Rodriguez, a 42-year-old Chicago man who contracted Covid-19, suffered through it, and survived.

We’re in the middle of the worst surge of Covid cases in America since the pandemic began. Just yesterday, over 160,000 new cases were reported in America, while the daily death average is at over 1000 people.

We’re tired, we’re lonely, we want to see our family and friends. But the risks that many of us continue to take, coupled with the lack of a national strategy, are leading to more suffering and continued deaths. Indeed, some of the risks we’ve been taking are forced by that very lack of a national strategy. But, the severity of the spread can be linked to some behavior that is very much under our control.

Despite the efforts of epidemiologists (and some of our leaders) to convince us to stay as safe as possible, we keep making mistakes. No matter how many times we hear the same facts about the virus, we seem to be able to convince ourselves to take unnecessary risks.

Perhaps it’s because often, if something is not right in front of us, we can’t seem to grasp its reality or consequences. Sometimes, we need the human component.

But waiting – until the virus affects you or someone you love – to take it seriously, is not a good idea.

Take it from today’s guest: Pito Rodriguez. He spent the last 8 months being very careful, very safe. But then he let his guard down – one time, maybe two. And that was all it took.

Listen to this generous, funny, well-spoken young man tell you what it was like for him. And why he doesn’t want anyone to have to go through what he did.

About Pito Rodriguez:

Instagram: @oyepito Twitter: @oyepito Facebook: oyepito

Pito Rodriguez tends the bar at world-renowned, beloved Chicago neighborhood bar, Best Intentions. He was born in the Humboldt Park neighborhood of Chicago. Soon after, Pito was taken to his family’s native land of Puerto Rico. 


Still a child, Pito was brought back to Chicago for his schooling. He was raised in the very Puerto Rican neighborhoods of Humboldt Park and Logan Square. He graduated from the great Lane Technical High School.

 
At the age of 25, he moved back to Puerto Rico. It was there that he got his first taste of the hospitality industry. Pito worked at his Godmother’s restaurant in the pueblo of his hometown, San Lorenzo. Having always been drawn to the energy and feel of bars, Pito frequented them since he was underage in Chicago. Eventually, Pito was introduced to the other side: he was the one doing the serving.


Moving back to Chicago once again, he worked in financial services in various capacities but soon realized he hated it. After pondering his future, he remembered how much he truly enjoyed serving guests at the restaurant back home in Puerto Rico. And so, he decided to start his official career in hospitality.

 
Pito blends his influences from Puerto Rico and Chicago – two of the greatest places on Earth – to serve as an Ambassador of Puerto Rican Good Times.

Episode Credits

A production of Once Upon A Westler.

Created, produced, hosted, engineered, and edited by Calvin Marty.

Music composed and performed by Calvin Marty.

The Gospel of John Roman Saint-Jon

IG: @therealsaintjon

johnsaintjon.com

In Episode 002 of irRegular People, I’m joined by John Roman Saint-Jon, a hospitality professional living and working in the city of Chicago. John tells us about growing up on both the South and North sides of the city, about coming out as gay to his mother, and about the evolution of their relationship. We talk about his experience in the hospitality industry both before and during the age of Covid19, and about how much passion matters to John and to the world of food and beverage at large.

John is Black, and tells the story of the end of his last relationship with a white man. The breakup happened during the pandemic and during the first week of the protests and riots surrounding the death of George Floyd, Brionna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and many other Black citizens who have died at the hands of police.

John and I met while both of us were working at bars and restaurants around Chicago. We’ve always gotten along; we consider ourselves friends, or at least friendly colleagues. But it’s amazing how comfortable you can be around someone without knowing much about them at all. It’s almost like some distant cousin to our ability to hate someone we know nothing about as, well.

I asked John to come onto the show and tell us the story of the end of his last relationship. One of the things that he told me that kept ringing in my head was, “Loving a Black person doesn’t mean fighting for their rights.” John found that out – first hand.

We’ve all gone through a lot over the past six months – some of it has been the same for all of us but a lot of us have had very different experiences. I truly appreciate John coming onto the show and telling us about his.

John Roman Saint-Jon was born on the Southside of the city of Chicago. When he was around the age of seven, his mother moved him to the Northside neighborhood of Rogers Park. John moved from the all-Black environment of Southside housing project Stateway Gardens to an area populated mostly by white and LatinX residents. He was one of the only Black students at a private high school in the Portage Park neighborhood.

John has spent his professional life in the hospitality industry in Chicago. He’s been a busboy, a server, and a general manager – just to name a few of the positions he’s held. He’s worked for small, family-run establishments and high-volume behemoths run by large restaurant groups. John has worked with Rick Bayless, at one point traveling to Mexico City with him.

John has a love of performance and theatre and hopes to work his way into the world of acting.

IG: @therealsaintjon

johnsaintjon.com

Episode 002 Credits:

Produced, edited, engineered and hosted by Calvin Marty.

Music: Calvin Marty

References in Episode 002:

4:23 – https://chicagoagentmagazine.com/current-issue/vol-13-2016/century-change-chicagos-demographics/

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