It is a tradition on the occasion of New Year's in Spain to consume 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight, one for each month of the year, for good luck and prosperity in the new year.
Some years ago, my Abuela adopted this tradition for family gathering on New Year's occasion: Each person present ate 12 grapes in recognition of something notable that happened during the outgoing year, and a hope for the incoming year.
I delight greatly in this tradition, and have done it with my family foursome as well.
And I do it now on this blog post, reflecting on 2013 as it draws to a close. Yesterday, I wrote a post reflecting on big news event in 2013. Today, I reflect on events in my personal life. There's a lot that happened during 2013, and it simply isn't possible to cover it all, in this blog post or otherwise. So I'm using 12 "grapes" to guide my reflections on this year, each representing something notable that happened, roughly one for each month.
Grape #1, trip to the AMS Meeting in Austin, TX: This was an extraordinary opportunity that helped me get started right engaging in the world of meteorology professionals, not to mention the first opportunity I had to experience what the grand state of Texas has to offer, and to go on a long-distance Amtrak trip.
Grape #2, portraying Senator Marco Rubio: We did a lot of interesting assignments in my Spanish class during my last semester at ValpU. It was a thrill for this assignment to portray such a brilliant man as Marco Rubio, not to mention watching his great address in response to President Obama's State of the Union Address that same month, which inspired this idea of mine.
Grape #3, the mission/service trip to St. Augustine Mission in Winnebago, NE: This was an incredible experience of a lifetime, for my first time being on a trip of this nature, as I thrust myself into service for the community at the mission, and getting to know them on a deep level, in addition to the bonding with those in my group.
Grape #4, my presentation at the Celebration of Undergraduate Scholarship: This was an exciting opportunity as my college years drew to a close to present a great project I had worked on freshmen year, on the Confederate war monument at Oakwoods Cemetery on Chicago's Southeast Side.
Grape #5, my graduation from Valparaiso University: This was the one thing I had to anticipate about this year far ahead of time. The festivities were a great way to cap off this most extraordinary experience of my life, and revel in finally returning home. It also marked the beginning of my status as a ValpU alumnus, and it's been great to engage with this status, in making visits back to ValpU and being part of alumni functions.
Grape #6, my little counsin Ava's birth: It was so exciting to take in the "good news" of Ava's birth, especially for my cousin Greg and his wife Melissa. I delighted greatly getting to meet her in August, and then see her again in December.
Grape #7, my Great Aunt Carmen's 80th Birthday: Even though I wasn't present for the trip to Kauai, I still celebrated this milestone birthday of a absolutely wonderful woman in my own ways.
Grape #8, hosting the Ruggabers for a visit in Oak Park: It was a distinct pleasure to welcome these the dearly beloved people to the place where I grew up, and have them spend some time here, especially showing them around.
Grape #9, Living Your Strengths Workshop: This was a great opportunity to take a step back and ponder what my strengths are, and how I can engage them to be a better person, for myself, and for others.
Grape #10, trip to the NWA Meeting in North Charleston, SC: This was another excellent opportunity to engage with professionals in meteorology, and experience South Carolina for the first time, and to go on a long-distance Amtrak trip, which included a wonderful time in Washington, DC, during layovers there and back.
Grape #11, the Silver Jubilee Mass of St. Martin de Porres Parish: It was great to join this community in celebration of their milestone, already having a connection with them by being a member of a sharing parish.
Grape #12, Wreaths Across America: It was a distinct pleasure to participate in this project honoring our veterans at their final resting place, and to do so for my own grandfather.
Now, that's 12 grapes, but I'm going to add another one since this is 2013, to address some odds and ends that don't necessarily fit into one month:
Grape #13, volunteer activites: Despite not finding full-time employment yet, I am glad that I had opportunity to participate in many other volunteer efforts, which I revel in. I helped clear invasive plants out of the Chicago Portage woods with the Friends of the Chicago Portage. I helped bring in money for the wonderful Chicago institution WTTW-PBS during two different pledge drives. I also took up other causes: I joined in pro-life demonstrations with Pro-Life Action League. In addition, I stood up for marriage between one man and one woman at Illinois Family Institute's Defend Marriage Lobby Day in Springfield. Event though homosexual marriage was legalized in Illinois, I can say from personal experience that it didn't go without a fight. And I engaged with my faith in exciting new ways: I helped out in numerous ways in Ascension Parish's religious education program, teaching a RE class, and facilitating activities for the Confirmation students. I became involved in other ways at my home parish, taking up the liturgical ministries of thurifer and communion minister.
So that's an appetizer of the happenings in my life during 2013. Looking back at this point, I feel that this was one of the biggest years of my life, in large part because of my graduation, and the trips I took, especially the two toward the beginning of the year, speak greatly to why this was one of the biggest years of my life. Those trip also really added the mileage I covered, with 3600 miles traveled as of April alone, and probably over 6000 by now.
So as I say goodbye to 2013, these things and more are on my mind as I give thanks to God for this year.
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Monday, December 30, 2013
2013 News in Review
One of the things I enjoy, and find myself very much drawn to, around this time of year is how the media have features reviewing the events of the calendar year coming to a close.
I am fond of looking back and reflecting upon the events of a given period of time, in this case, the calendar year, with a mind to how these events might be viewed in the years to come.
So as 2013 draws to a close, here's my take on some of the big news events:
President Barack Obama began his second term this year in January--wow, was that only this year? So much seems to have happened with him at the presidential helm this year. A sequester took effect on government services around February. This eventually led to the federal government going into shutdown mode for about half the month of October. It is definitely unfortunate that happened, as it had a negative impact on many services and people's lives, beyond those of federal employees.
But the main trigger of the shutdown was something else unfortunate: the rollout of the Affordable Care Act, which really does come across as a government takeover of healthcare, and, in effect, people's lives. The rollout didn't really go all that smoothly. I hope this leads to our government officials' going back to the drawing board to ponder anew how to better resolve the issue of people not having decent access to healthcare.
Locally, the CTA rolled out its new Ventra system for paying fare, which was plagued with numerous problems. Meanwhile, the parent company of Dominick's pulled those grocery stores out of the Chicago area after they posted substantial losses. And the city of Chicago expanded the Divvy bike sharing program.
In the realm of social change, there were advances made in gay rights in this country. The Supreme Court struck down key provisions of the Defense of Marriage Act. Then a number of states, including Illinois, legally changed the definition of marriage to be between any two people, thereby permitting homosexuals to wed.
But there were some advances in protecting the sanctity of human life. Despite the chaos erupting the first time it was attempted, Texas passed legislation to protect the unborn and their mothers from grisly abortion procedures, like those done by Kermit Gosnell, who was convicted on murder charges and sentenced to life in prison in May.
Among the departures this year were three world leaders: former British Primer Minister Margaret Thatcher, Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, and former South African president and anti-apartheid symbol Nelson Mandela.
South Korea's first woman president, Park Geun-hye, started her term in office. And Angela Merkel was elected to another term as Germany's chancellor. She was one of several leaders that the NSA spied on, part of the scandalous revelations of the NSA's spying program on even US citizens, leaked by Edward Snowden, who snuck away from US authorities to Russia.
Locally, Anan Abu-Taleb, owner of the Maya del Sol restaurant, won election to the office of Oak Park Village Board President, running as an independent candidate against the establishment candidate John Hedges.
There was also a change in leadership at the Vatican. I still remember how shocked I was when I opened my e-mail inbox that morning of Monday, February 11, to see the news of Benedict XVI announcing his abdication in the subject lines of three different e-mails.
But my shock gave way to the eager anticipation of who the next pope would be. I followed the election proceedings carefully, even to the point of waking up at 6 AM on the 2nd day of the conclave to see if a new pope had been elected.
And what a thrill it was later that day, March 13, just over a month after Benedict's announcement, to see the white smoke go up--a feeling of thrill especially in the initial moment--and then watch the introduction of Jorge Cardinal Bergoglio as Pope Francis. I was glued to the television for nearly 2 hours watching the coverage. It's been a delight to follow Francis throughout these months, as I see in him a great leader for the Roman Catholic Church, and a major force for positive change in the world.
We could use something like that in the midst of continuing violence in the world. The civil war in Syria continued raging. A mall in Nairobi, Kenya, was attacked by terrorists. The Boston Marathon's finish line was attacked by two bombs, which led to a very tense week for the Boston area as authorities sought out the perpetrators.
As for the weather, there weren't all that many tornadoes or tropical cyclones that impacted the United States this year. But the ones that did occur certainly were devastating, in Moore, OK, and Washington, IL. And in the Pacific Ocean, the devastation of the Philippines by the powerful Supertyphoon Haiyan was heartbreaking. There were also the forest fires, one of which in the vicinity of Yarnell, AZ, claimed the lives of many firefighters. During April, there was major flooding in the Chicago area. And there were some significant winter weather systems, including one in South Dakota in October, and significant ice and snow events in November and December, affecting parts of the South and East.
I'm sure there are many of other events from 2013 that will be remembered for years to come that I haven't mentioned here. But that's okay, they'll come to mind eventually and I'll muse on their significance a bit. Indeed, I'm going to keep on musing on 2013, even in a blog post I plan to publish tomorrow on New Year's Eve in which I share about events in my personal life in 2013.
Stay tuned, because I'm only starting to mull over them...
I am fond of looking back and reflecting upon the events of a given period of time, in this case, the calendar year, with a mind to how these events might be viewed in the years to come.
So as 2013 draws to a close, here's my take on some of the big news events:
President Barack Obama began his second term this year in January--wow, was that only this year? So much seems to have happened with him at the presidential helm this year. A sequester took effect on government services around February. This eventually led to the federal government going into shutdown mode for about half the month of October. It is definitely unfortunate that happened, as it had a negative impact on many services and people's lives, beyond those of federal employees.
But the main trigger of the shutdown was something else unfortunate: the rollout of the Affordable Care Act, which really does come across as a government takeover of healthcare, and, in effect, people's lives. The rollout didn't really go all that smoothly. I hope this leads to our government officials' going back to the drawing board to ponder anew how to better resolve the issue of people not having decent access to healthcare.
Locally, the CTA rolled out its new Ventra system for paying fare, which was plagued with numerous problems. Meanwhile, the parent company of Dominick's pulled those grocery stores out of the Chicago area after they posted substantial losses. And the city of Chicago expanded the Divvy bike sharing program.
In the realm of social change, there were advances made in gay rights in this country. The Supreme Court struck down key provisions of the Defense of Marriage Act. Then a number of states, including Illinois, legally changed the definition of marriage to be between any two people, thereby permitting homosexuals to wed.
But there were some advances in protecting the sanctity of human life. Despite the chaos erupting the first time it was attempted, Texas passed legislation to protect the unborn and their mothers from grisly abortion procedures, like those done by Kermit Gosnell, who was convicted on murder charges and sentenced to life in prison in May.
Among the departures this year were three world leaders: former British Primer Minister Margaret Thatcher, Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, and former South African president and anti-apartheid symbol Nelson Mandela.
South Korea's first woman president, Park Geun-hye, started her term in office. And Angela Merkel was elected to another term as Germany's chancellor. She was one of several leaders that the NSA spied on, part of the scandalous revelations of the NSA's spying program on even US citizens, leaked by Edward Snowden, who snuck away from US authorities to Russia.
Locally, Anan Abu-Taleb, owner of the Maya del Sol restaurant, won election to the office of Oak Park Village Board President, running as an independent candidate against the establishment candidate John Hedges.
There was also a change in leadership at the Vatican. I still remember how shocked I was when I opened my e-mail inbox that morning of Monday, February 11, to see the news of Benedict XVI announcing his abdication in the subject lines of three different e-mails.
But my shock gave way to the eager anticipation of who the next pope would be. I followed the election proceedings carefully, even to the point of waking up at 6 AM on the 2nd day of the conclave to see if a new pope had been elected.
And what a thrill it was later that day, March 13, just over a month after Benedict's announcement, to see the white smoke go up--a feeling of thrill especially in the initial moment--and then watch the introduction of Jorge Cardinal Bergoglio as Pope Francis. I was glued to the television for nearly 2 hours watching the coverage. It's been a delight to follow Francis throughout these months, as I see in him a great leader for the Roman Catholic Church, and a major force for positive change in the world.
We could use something like that in the midst of continuing violence in the world. The civil war in Syria continued raging. A mall in Nairobi, Kenya, was attacked by terrorists. The Boston Marathon's finish line was attacked by two bombs, which led to a very tense week for the Boston area as authorities sought out the perpetrators.
I'm sure there are many of other events from 2013 that will be remembered for years to come that I haven't mentioned here. But that's okay, they'll come to mind eventually and I'll muse on their significance a bit. Indeed, I'm going to keep on musing on 2013, even in a blog post I plan to publish tomorrow on New Year's Eve in which I share about events in my personal life in 2013.
Stay tuned, because I'm only starting to mull over them...
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Happy 150 Evanston!
December 29, 2013, marks 150 years since the founding of the northern Chicago suburb of Evanston, Illinois.
I had a memorable trip to Evanston back in August, which was focused on visiting the home of Charles Gates Dawes, which you can read about in the post on this blog entitled, "Visit to a Vice President's Property". After living in Evanston for some years, he went to serve as Vice President of the United States, in the Coolidge administration, the only person from Chicagoland to serve in that office. (I also found out in a wonderful Chicago Tribune piece on Evanston's sesquicentennial that another presidential cabinet official, William Jennings Bryan, was a student at Northwestern University in Evanston.)
My visit there got me thinking about the number of things my hometown, Oak Park, and Evanston have in common. Here's a few things I came up with:
1. Both had resident fervently committed to strong moral values at the time of their foundings.
2. Both are located along a geological ridge line, and previous names for these municipal areas (Ridgeville for Evanston, and Oak Ridge for Oak Park) reflected this.
3. Both have a variety of housing stock, including fancier 18th century homes, and more modest bungalow homes. (When I first arrived in Evanston, and walked from the CTA Purple Line to the Dawes House past some fancy homes, I had to wonder if all Evanston homes were like those. I found out from an exhibit in the home, which also houses the Evanston History Center, that bungalows are prevalent, on the other side of the city.)
4. Both were predominantly Caucasian communities for years from their founding, and then went through great struggle to achieve racial integration in the 20th Century.
5. This is probably the most obvious, but both are neighboring suburbs of the City of Chicago, and have CTA Rapid Transit access to the Loop Downtown Chicago, though the Purple Line has express runs to the Loop on weekdays.
I suppose that Evanston has a more privileged position, being the only Chicago suburb to border the City of Chicago, and have a shoreline on Lake Michigan. (I'm still puzzled over why Evanston charges admission to its public beaches. I mean, come one, God made the beach. Shouldn't it be free? We'll stick with Chicago's beaches on this one.) Evanston also has a prestigious university, but Oak Park is close enough to a university town, in neighbor River Forest, which has two.
From what I experienced of Evanston during that one visit in August, I can say it is a fine place in the northern Chicago suburbs. I wish it and all its residents a very happy celebration of their city's 150 years, and best wishes for the years to come.
P.S. As Evanston celebrates 150 years, so I mark 50 posts on my blog with this one.
I had a memorable trip to Evanston back in August, which was focused on visiting the home of Charles Gates Dawes, which you can read about in the post on this blog entitled, "Visit to a Vice President's Property". After living in Evanston for some years, he went to serve as Vice President of the United States, in the Coolidge administration, the only person from Chicagoland to serve in that office. (I also found out in a wonderful Chicago Tribune piece on Evanston's sesquicentennial that another presidential cabinet official, William Jennings Bryan, was a student at Northwestern University in Evanston.)
My visit there got me thinking about the number of things my hometown, Oak Park, and Evanston have in common. Here's a few things I came up with:
1. Both had resident fervently committed to strong moral values at the time of their foundings.
2. Both are located along a geological ridge line, and previous names for these municipal areas (Ridgeville for Evanston, and Oak Ridge for Oak Park) reflected this.
3. Both have a variety of housing stock, including fancier 18th century homes, and more modest bungalow homes. (When I first arrived in Evanston, and walked from the CTA Purple Line to the Dawes House past some fancy homes, I had to wonder if all Evanston homes were like those. I found out from an exhibit in the home, which also houses the Evanston History Center, that bungalows are prevalent, on the other side of the city.)
4. Both were predominantly Caucasian communities for years from their founding, and then went through great struggle to achieve racial integration in the 20th Century.
5. This is probably the most obvious, but both are neighboring suburbs of the City of Chicago, and have CTA Rapid Transit access to the Loop Downtown Chicago, though the Purple Line has express runs to the Loop on weekdays.
I suppose that Evanston has a more privileged position, being the only Chicago suburb to border the City of Chicago, and have a shoreline on Lake Michigan. (I'm still puzzled over why Evanston charges admission to its public beaches. I mean, come one, God made the beach. Shouldn't it be free? We'll stick with Chicago's beaches on this one.) Evanston also has a prestigious university, but Oak Park is close enough to a university town, in neighbor River Forest, which has two.
From what I experienced of Evanston during that one visit in August, I can say it is a fine place in the northern Chicago suburbs. I wish it and all its residents a very happy celebration of their city's 150 years, and best wishes for the years to come.
P.S. As Evanston celebrates 150 years, so I mark 50 posts on my blog with this one.
"Kris"-mas and CHRISTmas
Let's face it: Christmas, yes, is a celebration of Christ's Birth. But it is also a celebration of characters such as Frosty, Santa, and Rudolph, and is also a commercialism giant.
I couldn't help but think of this as my Dad and I walked home from Mass on Christmas Day morning with our neighbor. She mentioned that her husband had a piece published in The Wednesday Journal, a local newspaper, in which he discussed the whole issue of people trying to take Christmas away and instead observing the Holidays.
And that shows how Christmas is ballooning from being a celebration of Christ's coming into our world into an occasion full of traditions and customs that don't have much to do with Christ at all, even if they espouse generic feelings of good will and charity, which have their basis in Judeo-Christian ethics.
And it's nice to have these other trappings to go along with the celebration of the Nativity, and I'm definitely not against them, whether they be family, food, or Santa. But I've been made very aware that they have to be put in their proper place, because the true meaning of Christmas is too great to be put aside by these other things. What we celebrate on this occasion is God coming down to Earth and becoming Flesh. Think of that--God becoming FLESH! Isn't that enough to blow one's mind away? Yet as a society, we become so obsessed with buying things, singing songs about silver bells, and wanting snow on the ground to fit Bing Crosby's description of Christmas.
Now granted, there are people who definitely use this occasion to encourage expressions of goodwill, to make it more than just about commercialism. But sometimes, I fear, even goodwill gets watered down. I couldn't help but notice this when I watched the National Christmas Tree lighting program on PBS. President Obama said something in his remarks that really struck me as peculiar: He said that this occasion celebrates the birth of someone who is an example of what the Scriptures teach, namely, love and kindness to others. I couldn't help but think, Mr. President, the One whose birth we're celebrating isn't merely an example of what the Scriptures teach. As the Word of God, He is the Scriptures. Indeed, the true meaning of Christmas can get bogged down in such sentimentality, the same kind by which people recall traditions of celebration from their childhood, more so than celebrating Christ.
I couldn't help but think of this as my Dad and I walked home from Mass on Christmas Day morning with our neighbor. She mentioned that her husband had a piece published in The Wednesday Journal, a local newspaper, in which he discussed the whole issue of people trying to take Christmas away and instead observing the Holidays.
Mr. Greg Morgan makes a number of good points in his piece. It shouldn't necessarily be seen as a threat that people are celebrating the Holidays, and wishing each other "Happy Holidays", instead of celebrating Christmas, and saying, "Merry Christmas".
It's interesting to note that many people, like atheists, get offended when Christmas trees go up as decorations, even those they don't really have anything to do with Christianity. The cultural shift that is manifested by their outcries has also led many retailers and other businesses to use the term "Holiday" instead of "Christmas", because they feel that the latter will be offensive, even though this offense is only implied.
And some people prefer to use "Holiday", because then it can account for other cultural celebrations happening around the same time of year. While it's true that Hannukkah and Kwanzaa are going on at the same time of the year as Christ's Birth, ultimately, I feel people have to admit that there would be no such thing as the "Holiday season" with all its associated trappings and commercialism, if it weren't for the presence of Christ's Birth on December 25.
As I see it, there are some trappings of the Christmas holiday that really have nothing to do with celebrating Christ's Birth. For example, the stories of Frosty and Santa really have more to do with celebrating winter, generic feelings of goodwill toward fellow humans, and sentimentality. I was even watching the relatively new program Shrek the Halls for the first time this month, and when Shrek tells the Christmas story, it's a spin off of the "The Night Before Christmas", which is pretty much all about Santa, and has nothing to do with Christ.
We even put up trees, wreaths, and stockings to celebrate the occasion of Christ's Birth. These are stepped in traditions going back centuries, some of them related to pagan culture. They are also drawn from the resources that many people in the Northern Hemisphere had to celebrate an occasion in the midst of winter, when not much else was growing. They have now grown into having a life of their own, much has Santa, who is derived from the bishop St. Nicholas.
It's interesting to note that many people, like atheists, get offended when Christmas trees go up as decorations, even those they don't really have anything to do with Christianity. The cultural shift that is manifested by their outcries has also led many retailers and other businesses to use the term "Holiday" instead of "Christmas", because they feel that the latter will be offensive, even though this offense is only implied.
And some people prefer to use "Holiday", because then it can account for other cultural celebrations happening around the same time of year. While it's true that Hannukkah and Kwanzaa are going on at the same time of the year as Christ's Birth, ultimately, I feel people have to admit that there would be no such thing as the "Holiday season" with all its associated trappings and commercialism, if it weren't for the presence of Christ's Birth on December 25.
As I see it, there are some trappings of the Christmas holiday that really have nothing to do with celebrating Christ's Birth. For example, the stories of Frosty and Santa really have more to do with celebrating winter, generic feelings of goodwill toward fellow humans, and sentimentality. I was even watching the relatively new program Shrek the Halls for the first time this month, and when Shrek tells the Christmas story, it's a spin off of the "The Night Before Christmas", which is pretty much all about Santa, and has nothing to do with Christ.
We even put up trees, wreaths, and stockings to celebrate the occasion of Christ's Birth. These are stepped in traditions going back centuries, some of them related to pagan culture. They are also drawn from the resources that many people in the Northern Hemisphere had to celebrate an occasion in the midst of winter, when not much else was growing. They have now grown into having a life of their own, much has Santa, who is derived from the bishop St. Nicholas.
This issue was addressed so marvelously in a blog post I found on Patheos that talks about Santa Claus. Reading this post, I couldn't help but think, "That's so true", in regards to how we ingraft Santa Claus into our reality of life. People even ask each other, "What did Santa give you for Christmas?" This isn't even just a question asked of children. People have asked me this question in the past couple of years, as an emerging adult person.
And that shows how Christmas is ballooning from being a celebration of Christ's coming into our world into an occasion full of traditions and customs that don't have much to do with Christ at all, even if they espouse generic feelings of good will and charity, which have their basis in Judeo-Christian ethics.
All of this is part of why I have had problems with celebrating Christmas. I'd get myself too caught up in all those traditions, and I lost track of Christ enough that it started causing me problems. I reached a breaking point after Christmas 2005, when I felt depressed when it came time to take down the decorations, which I saw as just part of society's way of tossing out Christmas like it doesn't matter any more once December 26 arrives.
In my determination to do something, I sought to remove myself from all those customs and traditions because they were so entangled with celebrating Christ and I couldn't focus on Christ. I wanted to focus on Him and nothing else. For a while, I was afraid to have anything to do with "Christmas". I even moved away from saying "Christmas", or using that term at all, because I was so intent on acknowleding Christ in this occasion, and not all those other things that are entangled with it. I wouldn't even say, "Merry Christmas", not because I was afraid of offending those who don't celebrate the holiday, but because I couldn't express my desire to wish people a joyful celebration of Christ using those words. I even didn't want to sing Christmas carols before December 25, because I thought it would detract from my ability to celebrate that day the way it should be. Instead, I turned to more deeply embracing Advent hymns and practices.
In my determination to do something, I sought to remove myself from all those customs and traditions because they were so entangled with celebrating Christ and I couldn't focus on Christ. I wanted to focus on Him and nothing else. For a while, I was afraid to have anything to do with "Christmas". I even moved away from saying "Christmas", or using that term at all, because I was so intent on acknowleding Christ in this occasion, and not all those other things that are entangled with it. I wouldn't even say, "Merry Christmas", not because I was afraid of offending those who don't celebrate the holiday, but because I couldn't express my desire to wish people a joyful celebration of Christ using those words. I even didn't want to sing Christmas carols before December 25, because I thought it would detract from my ability to celebrate that day the way it should be. Instead, I turned to more deeply embracing Advent hymns and practices.
Things have calmed down since then. And I feel that my celebrations of this occasion have regained focus in their proper place. That was especially evident this year, as I had a really good celebration of Christ's Nativity.
My family and I gathered with my Abuela, my Dad's mom, on Nativity Eve, as is our custom going back years. We first went to Mass at St. Cornelius Parish, which was a great way to kick off the celebration. It's always good to go to St. Cornelius, for as the parish were I was baptized, it has special meaning for me. I was also delighted to learn from Father Dan in his homily that it was the 50-year anniversary of when Mass was first celebrated at St. Cornelius, so that made being there even more memorable.
We had a nice dinner, with our special homemade tamales navideños, and then a nice time exchanging gifts with one another, and reading the beautiful Advent Book, by Oak Park residents Jack and Kathy Stockman.
The next day, it was great to get up and go to Mass at Ascension Parish in the morning light of Nativity Day. I had the privilege of serving as the thurifer, for the third time ever, swinging around the incense thurible as a way to symbolize our praise and prayers rising to Christ in celebration of His First Coming to our world. (I find myself getting really drawn into the performance of this liturgical ministry.)
Back at home, there was an exchanging of gifts among our foursome. It was great to give meaningful gifts to people in my family, despite one gift not having yet arrived. With most of my gifts, I bought them online, to avoid the hassles of going out to shop, and the purchases supported charitable causes, so that the gift giving would have even more meaning.
Then I had another good family celebration with my mom's side of the family at my Uncle Bernie's place. We played some games, had a nice dinner, and had some Scripture reading. We even had opportunity to Skype with my Aunt Terri, who lives in Tucson, AZ, and my Cousin Megan.
So yes, it was all around an enjoyable celebration of the Nativity of our Lord, at Church, and with family and good food.
My family and I gathered with my Abuela, my Dad's mom, on Nativity Eve, as is our custom going back years. We first went to Mass at St. Cornelius Parish, which was a great way to kick off the celebration. It's always good to go to St. Cornelius, for as the parish were I was baptized, it has special meaning for me. I was also delighted to learn from Father Dan in his homily that it was the 50-year anniversary of when Mass was first celebrated at St. Cornelius, so that made being there even more memorable.
We had a nice dinner, with our special homemade tamales navideños, and then a nice time exchanging gifts with one another, and reading the beautiful Advent Book, by Oak Park residents Jack and Kathy Stockman.
The next day, it was great to get up and go to Mass at Ascension Parish in the morning light of Nativity Day. I had the privilege of serving as the thurifer, for the third time ever, swinging around the incense thurible as a way to symbolize our praise and prayers rising to Christ in celebration of His First Coming to our world. (I find myself getting really drawn into the performance of this liturgical ministry.)
Back at home, there was an exchanging of gifts among our foursome. It was great to give meaningful gifts to people in my family, despite one gift not having yet arrived. With most of my gifts, I bought them online, to avoid the hassles of going out to shop, and the purchases supported charitable causes, so that the gift giving would have even more meaning.
Then I had another good family celebration with my mom's side of the family at my Uncle Bernie's place. We played some games, had a nice dinner, and had some Scripture reading. We even had opportunity to Skype with my Aunt Terri, who lives in Tucson, AZ, and my Cousin Megan.
So yes, it was all around an enjoyable celebration of the Nativity of our Lord, at Church, and with family and good food.
And it's nice to have these other trappings to go along with the celebration of the Nativity, and I'm definitely not against them, whether they be family, food, or Santa. But I've been made very aware that they have to be put in their proper place, because the true meaning of Christmas is too great to be put aside by these other things. What we celebrate on this occasion is God coming down to Earth and becoming Flesh. Think of that--God becoming FLESH! Isn't that enough to blow one's mind away? Yet as a society, we become so obsessed with buying things, singing songs about silver bells, and wanting snow on the ground to fit Bing Crosby's description of Christmas.
Now granted, there are people who definitely use this occasion to encourage expressions of goodwill, to make it more than just about commercialism. But sometimes, I fear, even goodwill gets watered down. I couldn't help but notice this when I watched the National Christmas Tree lighting program on PBS. President Obama said something in his remarks that really struck me as peculiar: He said that this occasion celebrates the birth of someone who is an example of what the Scriptures teach, namely, love and kindness to others. I couldn't help but think, Mr. President, the One whose birth we're celebrating isn't merely an example of what the Scriptures teach. As the Word of God, He is the Scriptures. Indeed, the true meaning of Christmas can get bogged down in such sentimentality, the same kind by which people recall traditions of celebration from their childhood, more so than celebrating Christ.
I guess it is only to be expected that there would be a lot of sentimentality surrounding Christmas, as would happen with any holiday that's been around for years and has spread around the globe, and then gotten caught up in the engine of capitalism roaring away in the "Western" world. But in the end, none of the sentimentality, customs, traditions, or even gestures of goodwill mean anything without Jesus Christ. This idea is so beautifully expressed by the great genius, Stuart Shepard, my favorite socio-political commentator, who works at Focus on the Family, and made this Stoplight video, entitled "Searching for Christmas".
Note what happens at the end of the video. The boy, who I presume to be Stuart's son, who has appeared in Stoplight videos from time to time, paraphrases words from the story of the Resurrection of Christ, associated with the holiday of Easter. Its inclusion in this video demonstrates how Christ's Birth points to His purpose for coming, to redeem us and bring us to Eternal Life with God.
What a blessed truth to behold at this time of year. And it's something that I'm going to keep celebrating for the days of the Christmas Season, which lasts until January 12, and contains other Feasts celebrating the Manifestation of God in Jesus Christ. It complements well the season of Advent, in which we focus on preparing ourselves to welcome Christ into our lives, not only for the yearly celebration of His Birth, but in anticipation of His Second Coming at the End of Time. My hope, as always, is that these celebrations in the midst of this liturgical context will renew me in faith for the whole year round. And this is the context in which I celebrate Christmas. And despite having been at times caught up in cynicism, and my other struggles with this holiday, Greg Morgan is right on: No matter what has become of Christmas, I won't let anyone take away the way I have embraced for celebrating it.
I make this occasion of CHRISTmas about Christ, not "Kris" Kringle--notice how we usually pronounce "Chris"mas--much as I seek to make my life here on Earth about Him, to whom I ultimately go.
Gloria in excelsis Deo, et in terra pax!
Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth peace to people of goodwill!
May God rest you merry!
What a blessed truth to behold at this time of year. And it's something that I'm going to keep celebrating for the days of the Christmas Season, which lasts until January 12, and contains other Feasts celebrating the Manifestation of God in Jesus Christ. It complements well the season of Advent, in which we focus on preparing ourselves to welcome Christ into our lives, not only for the yearly celebration of His Birth, but in anticipation of His Second Coming at the End of Time. My hope, as always, is that these celebrations in the midst of this liturgical context will renew me in faith for the whole year round. And this is the context in which I celebrate Christmas. And despite having been at times caught up in cynicism, and my other struggles with this holiday, Greg Morgan is right on: No matter what has become of Christmas, I won't let anyone take away the way I have embraced for celebrating it.
I make this occasion of CHRISTmas about Christ, not "Kris" Kringle--notice how we usually pronounce "Chris"mas--much as I seek to make my life here on Earth about Him, to whom I ultimately go.
Gloria in excelsis Deo, et in terra pax!
Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth peace to people of goodwill!
May God rest you merry!
Sunday, December 22, 2013
In Tribute to His Eminence Francis Cardinal George, OMI
On December 21, 1963, Francis Eugene George was ordained a priest, in the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, at St. Pascal Parish on the Northwest Side of Chicago.
More than 30 years later, after having served in the Northwest United States, he came back home to Chicago, having been appointed Archbishop of Chicago, and soon after was designated a Cardinal.
I have been fortunate to personally interact with Cardinal George on five different occasions:
1. On Sunday, May 21, 2007, he came to Ascension Parish as main celebrant for the Centennial Celebration Mass on our Feast Day. It was so momentous for me to meet him for the first time on this occasion, after having heard so much about him, and having seen him on television news a few times.
2. On Sunday, September 20, 2008, he presided over Mass at St. Cornelius Parish to launch the 40 Days for Life campaign of the Archdiocese of Chicago. This parish happens to be the closest to an abortion clinic where there was a prayer vigil during these 40 Days.
3. On Sunday, August 5, 2012, after having participated in Theology on Tap young adult speakers' series during the month of July, I attended the program's Finale Mass at the Quigley Center. He celebrated that Mass, as is his custom and sign of his commitment to the young adult ministry of the Archdiocese.
4. On Sunday, November 3, 2013, I was present at the Silver Jubilee Mass at St. Martin de Porres Parish, where he was the main celebrant.
5. Most recently, on Sunday, December 22, 2013, I went to Holy Name Cathedral for a Mass he concelebrated, marking the Golden Anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood. (One of the other concelebrants was Bishop Francis Kane, who confirmed me.) (This Mass came after a special, invitation-only Mass the previous Wednesday celebrating his 50th Anniversary.)
I very much admire the leadership Cardinal George has provided for the local area while serving as the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago, and his attention to the ministry of the Church universal. He has been a strong voice for the Truth in the midst of controversies over government infringements upon the exercise of religious freedom, homosexual marriage, abortion, and immigration. In the midst of so many seeking to work against God's plan for a righteous society, it is good to hear him take his stance so firmly.
But beyond his resolve on these issues, I admire him for his character, which resonates with me in a more personal way.
I still remember the conversation I had with him the second time I met him, after the Mass at St. Cornelius in September 2008. It was so momentous for me to stand in the presence of a man with such importance in the local area and the Church itself. He has even stood in the presence of the Pope, and furthermore, participated in electing him, (now on two different occasions). Yet despite all that power creating an aura of sorts around him, he displayed such humility when he simply requested, "Please pray for me." That moment stays with me, because it shows what the Church it all about. It's not about having power, but recognizing that Jesus Christ has died and risen again, that we might have faith to recognize God's ultimate authority over all of us, and having Him live in us, we have hope of one day being in His presence forever.
Contrary to the impressions of arrogance that Church leaders may have given in centuries past, His Eminence has demonstrated what it means to truly be a disciple of Jesus Christ--that He is great, and we are less. Truly Cardinal George has shown himself to be a Servant of God in his ministry.
God Bless you, Your Eminence, on this special milestone in your ministry. May God's guiding grace hover over you in the years to come.
More than 30 years later, after having served in the Northwest United States, he came back home to Chicago, having been appointed Archbishop of Chicago, and soon after was designated a Cardinal.
I have been fortunate to personally interact with Cardinal George on five different occasions:
1. On Sunday, May 21, 2007, he came to Ascension Parish as main celebrant for the Centennial Celebration Mass on our Feast Day. It was so momentous for me to meet him for the first time on this occasion, after having heard so much about him, and having seen him on television news a few times.
2. On Sunday, September 20, 2008, he presided over Mass at St. Cornelius Parish to launch the 40 Days for Life campaign of the Archdiocese of Chicago. This parish happens to be the closest to an abortion clinic where there was a prayer vigil during these 40 Days.
3. On Sunday, August 5, 2012, after having participated in Theology on Tap young adult speakers' series during the month of July, I attended the program's Finale Mass at the Quigley Center. He celebrated that Mass, as is his custom and sign of his commitment to the young adult ministry of the Archdiocese.
4. On Sunday, November 3, 2013, I was present at the Silver Jubilee Mass at St. Martin de Porres Parish, where he was the main celebrant.
5. Most recently, on Sunday, December 22, 2013, I went to Holy Name Cathedral for a Mass he concelebrated, marking the Golden Anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood. (One of the other concelebrants was Bishop Francis Kane, who confirmed me.) (This Mass came after a special, invitation-only Mass the previous Wednesday celebrating his 50th Anniversary.)
I very much admire the leadership Cardinal George has provided for the local area while serving as the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago, and his attention to the ministry of the Church universal. He has been a strong voice for the Truth in the midst of controversies over government infringements upon the exercise of religious freedom, homosexual marriage, abortion, and immigration. In the midst of so many seeking to work against God's plan for a righteous society, it is good to hear him take his stance so firmly.
But beyond his resolve on these issues, I admire him for his character, which resonates with me in a more personal way.
I still remember the conversation I had with him the second time I met him, after the Mass at St. Cornelius in September 2008. It was so momentous for me to stand in the presence of a man with such importance in the local area and the Church itself. He has even stood in the presence of the Pope, and furthermore, participated in electing him, (now on two different occasions). Yet despite all that power creating an aura of sorts around him, he displayed such humility when he simply requested, "Please pray for me." That moment stays with me, because it shows what the Church it all about. It's not about having power, but recognizing that Jesus Christ has died and risen again, that we might have faith to recognize God's ultimate authority over all of us, and having Him live in us, we have hope of one day being in His presence forever.
Contrary to the impressions of arrogance that Church leaders may have given in centuries past, His Eminence has demonstrated what it means to truly be a disciple of Jesus Christ--that He is great, and we are less. Truly Cardinal George has shown himself to be a Servant of God in his ministry.
God Bless you, Your Eminence, on this special milestone in your ministry. May God's guiding grace hover over you in the years to come.
 |
| Here I am, standing with Cardinal George, at the reception following Ascension Parish's Centennial Mass in May 2007, the first time I met Cardinal George. Thanks to my Dad for getting this picture. |
 |
| Here I'm posing with Cardinal George at the reception following the Theology on Tap Finale Mass in August 2012. Thanks to the fellow attendee who got this picture for me. |
Saturday, December 21, 2013
Wild Weather Wallop to Winter
According to the heavenly bodies, it is winter now. The winter solstice occurred at 11:11 AM CST (or 1711 UTC), Saturday, December 21, 2013. This is the moment when the sun's most direct rays reach the southernmost latitude, 23.5 degrees South, the Tropic of Capricorn. From now on, the sun's rays will move further and further north as the Earth's tilt changes with its yearly rotation.
The transition to this point has been marked by quite a weather wallop over the past month or so. But it's all in keeping with the big picture of the weather story in a midcontinental, midlatitude location like Chicagoland. This part of the globe is transitioning from the warm summer season to the cold winter, and the transition can really send us for a thrill ride.
After a relatively benign start to November, a weather system moved in on November 11. It started out as rain, but as temperatures began to fall, it turned over to accumulating snow. It ended that same evening, but it was a different story over in northwest Indiana, as the lake-effect snow machine turned on, as cold northerly winds blew off still warm waters of Lake Michigan. As befits the incredible amount of variability spatially speaking, amounts throughout that area ranged from a light accumulation well under an inch in Valparaiso to nearly 4 inches just 4-5 miles away in Wanatah.
But all that snow was a memory by the following weekend when warmer air rode into the area on southwesterly surface winds. Well above the surface, a strong jet (concentrated area of fast winds) formed, blowing at 130-150 mph. This helped air to rise in earnest and combined with very moist air and some other factors, triggered powerful thunderstorms, which produced tornadoes throughout the Midwest.
It was so interesting when, while at my grandma's hosue, the NOAA weather radio sounded and the warning specifically alerted people at Soldier Field to seek safe shelter--while a game was in progress.
Once the stormy weather and its associated low pressure system passed, temperatures went down, all the way to the 20s for the high by Saturday, November 23. After it passed bringing a slight warm-up, temperatures went down again, though not as drastically. Then, temperatures began to go up again as we entered December. The pinnacle came on the night of Wednesday, December 4, when the temperature reached 56 degrees at O'Hare Airport at about 7:50 PM CST. I went to Advent Evening prayer in a lighter jacket and short-sleeved shirt. It kind of reminded me of the beginning of last December, when temperatures got near 70.
But that became a memory as temperatures plummeted overnight and became bitterly cold by Saturday. There was quite a stretch of cold weather for days as winter got kicking a lot sooner than last year. A slight warm-up came, followed by a big snowmaker on December 14, and then more cold. And then there was another warm up toward the end of this week, enough to melt much of the snow that had fallen a few days before.
So yeah, it's been a bit wild, but this is the time of year for these types of weather situations to occur, with constant fluctuations in temperatures, and lots of different kinds of precipitation. It all happens as one weather system comes after another, driven by a much stronger difference in temperature over the continent as cold air intrudes further south, with warm subtropical temperatures persisting near the southern US border. And Chicagoland certainly isn't the only spot in the United States to have had such weather, as many other locations in the South and East Coast have, too.
From what I know of the latest climate outlooks, Chicagoland is expected to have a winter with average temperatures and snowfall, though there's a possibility there could be above average snowfall. Ultimately, we'll find out what kind of winter we'll have as each day comes, so stay tuned as we're just getting started.
So there you have it: a typical weather scenario for a midcontinental location transitioning from summer warmth to winter cold.
The transition to this point has been marked by quite a weather wallop over the past month or so. But it's all in keeping with the big picture of the weather story in a midcontinental, midlatitude location like Chicagoland. This part of the globe is transitioning from the warm summer season to the cold winter, and the transition can really send us for a thrill ride.
After a relatively benign start to November, a weather system moved in on November 11. It started out as rain, but as temperatures began to fall, it turned over to accumulating snow. It ended that same evening, but it was a different story over in northwest Indiana, as the lake-effect snow machine turned on, as cold northerly winds blew off still warm waters of Lake Michigan. As befits the incredible amount of variability spatially speaking, amounts throughout that area ranged from a light accumulation well under an inch in Valparaiso to nearly 4 inches just 4-5 miles away in Wanatah.
But all that snow was a memory by the following weekend when warmer air rode into the area on southwesterly surface winds. Well above the surface, a strong jet (concentrated area of fast winds) formed, blowing at 130-150 mph. This helped air to rise in earnest and combined with very moist air and some other factors, triggered powerful thunderstorms, which produced tornadoes throughout the Midwest.
It was so interesting when, while at my grandma's hosue, the NOAA weather radio sounded and the warning specifically alerted people at Soldier Field to seek safe shelter--while a game was in progress.
Once the stormy weather and its associated low pressure system passed, temperatures went down, all the way to the 20s for the high by Saturday, November 23. After it passed bringing a slight warm-up, temperatures went down again, though not as drastically. Then, temperatures began to go up again as we entered December. The pinnacle came on the night of Wednesday, December 4, when the temperature reached 56 degrees at O'Hare Airport at about 7:50 PM CST. I went to Advent Evening prayer in a lighter jacket and short-sleeved shirt. It kind of reminded me of the beginning of last December, when temperatures got near 70.
But that became a memory as temperatures plummeted overnight and became bitterly cold by Saturday. There was quite a stretch of cold weather for days as winter got kicking a lot sooner than last year. A slight warm-up came, followed by a big snowmaker on December 14, and then more cold. And then there was another warm up toward the end of this week, enough to melt much of the snow that had fallen a few days before.
So yeah, it's been a bit wild, but this is the time of year for these types of weather situations to occur, with constant fluctuations in temperatures, and lots of different kinds of precipitation. It all happens as one weather system comes after another, driven by a much stronger difference in temperature over the continent as cold air intrudes further south, with warm subtropical temperatures persisting near the southern US border. And Chicagoland certainly isn't the only spot in the United States to have had such weather, as many other locations in the South and East Coast have, too.
From what I know of the latest climate outlooks, Chicagoland is expected to have a winter with average temperatures and snowfall, though there's a possibility there could be above average snowfall. Ultimately, we'll find out what kind of winter we'll have as each day comes, so stay tuned as we're just getting started.
So there you have it: a typical weather scenario for a midcontinental location transitioning from summer warmth to winter cold.
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Traveling Back from the Charleston Area
(Note: This is a continuation of my trip to the NWA Meeting in North Charleston, SC, the story of which is told in the following previous posts: "Expressing Weather Enthusiasm", "Journeying to the Charleston Area", and "Ambling around in 'CharlesTown'".)
I spent most of my ride north from South Carolina on the Silver Meteor in sleep mode. At Richmond, the kindly man I met when embarking departed. I awoke around 8 AM or so, as the train chugged through the fields of north central Virginia, over which the sun was shining through the veil of the clouds.
I soon recognized that we were in the Washington, DC, Metro Area when the tracks passed by the Franconia-Springfield Blue Line Metro station. The train followed the Blue Line corridor all the way to Alexandria, on tracks also used by the Virginia Railway Express commuter trains on their weekday morning runs. I got some pretty good views of Alexandria around the area where I once stayed on a short family trip to the area in 2004, and of the city of Washington as we neared Union Station.
We arrived a bit after 9 AM, about two hours late. But there was still plenty of time for me to spend in the illustrious city, and I took full advantage of it, especially to see one very spectacular place: the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
It seems that every time I've been to Washington, DC, in the past, there's at least one place I had thoughts about visiting, but didn't get the chance. Last time, during our summer 2011 trip, that place was the National Shrine.
When planning what I wanted to do during my layovers in DC on this trip, I floated lots of ideas, including the monuments on the National Mall. But that all changed when the federal government went into shutdown mode, and the monuments got barricaded--though I'm still not sure why that was really necessary. Interestingly, I wasn't really affected all that much by the shutdown until I went on this trip, as many NWS employees who were supposed to attend the NWA meeting, and even give presentations, couldn't come. And then there were sites I thought about seeing but couldn't. But in a sense, this was a blessing in disguise because if there was no shutdown, I would have been too tempted to pack in too much into too little time. (The shutdown also partly influenced my decision to walk around and go to Georgetown during my layover on Sunday on the way to South Carolina.)
At a certain point--I'm not sure if it was before or after the shutdown took effect--I floated the idea of going to the National Shrine. As I thought about it more and more, it really began to appeal to me as a way to spend my layover, especially in light of the shutdown. A professor I know at ValpU told me it had some spectacular artwork, and it had meaning for me as a spiritual place. Fortunately, it was one of the few sites in Washington, DC, that doesn't charge admission and wasn't affected by the shutdown. And surely the Church itself will never shut down so long as we, the people of the Church, do our part to keep it open, as God does His.
So after arrival at Union Station, I got some breakfast there (pancakes at Johnny Rocket's), and then made my way to the Metro Red Line and rode it three stops north to the Brookland-CUA station. Then I walked the short, approximately 10-minute distance, along Michigan Avenue, to the campus of Catholic University of America, and the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
It is the largest Roman Catholic Church in the United States, the largest church in the Western Hemisphere, and one of the largest churches in the world--and what a sight it was when I first caught glimpse of it in its fullness. (The Capitol Limited Route guide said that the church is visible from the tracks just north of Union Station, but I really didn't see much of on my way in. I could tell I was close to CUA because I saw the flag of the Vatican City-State.) The first specific thing on the building that caught my attention were these words of praise above the entrance: "THOU ART THE GLORY OF JERUSALEM THE JOY OF ISRAEL THE HONOUR OF OUR PEOPLE".
I went inside and started walking around. I browsed the gift shop and bookstore, as well as the artwork in the cafeteria, which appropriately showed Biblical scenes of meals. I also went in to look at the two levels of the Church. It was an incredible visual feast! It was filled with such beautiful religious artwork giving homage to aspects of (the Roman Catholic) faith.
At 11 AM, I went to the main desk on the lower level to start a guided tour, with a woman named Teresa. The Shrine has a main church, a crypt church, and, lining the sides of the church on both levels, 70 chapels and other oratories. Chapels have an altar where Mass is said. They range in sizes from literally being a small space in a wall where one priest stands to say Mass, to a large room that can hold twenty people. Oratories don't have an altar, but instead have a place to pray, with a particular devotion. There are so many things to see that an hourlong tour isn't sufficient to cover all of them, but Teresa showed me some highlights, and even took me to some areas I wanted to see.
She started off by telling me a little history. Bishop Shahan, rector of CUA, proposed building a shrine to Mary, Immaculate Conception, the Patroness of the United States of America, back in the 1910's. The Pope at the time, Pius X, gave approval for the project. He was the Pope who emphasized the Eucharist as a common rite for lay people, and also established Confraternity of Catholic Doctrine (CCD). There is a Chapel dedicated to his memory in the Shrine.
The Shrine building itself was finished in the 1950's, but work is still being done even unto today, with the addition of new Chapels, like one that was just finished a couple of years ago. The day I was there, crews were installing a new piece of artwork.
There are many Chapels dedicated to certain countries' expressions of Roman Catholicism, like Our Lady of La Vang of Vietnam, Our Lady of Lebanon, and Our Lady of Siluva of Lithuania. One notable Chapel was to Our Mother of Africa. This Chapel had artwork representing Africans' experience in America, including diagrams of the slave ships, and an artistic piece (see below) showing their progression from slavery through Jim Crow and to greater integration into US society.
In the Upper church (see below), Teresa showed me the artwork underneath the dome, and beyond it toward the apse. They showed scenes from Creation, of Jesus Christ, and the End Times. There were also pictures showing scenes of New Testament stories with their Old Testament counterparts. And there were statues of famous Jesuits and Franciscans.
As Teresa showed me various countries' Chapels, I asked to see the one for la Virgen de Guadalupe. This Chapel had some notable features, like no corners, and a throng of people progressing from the darkness toward the light in the center, where la Virgen's image is.
Around noon, we concluded the tour, and I headed down to the Crypt Church for Mass. When I got there, the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament was going on, and the smell of the incense lingered as I took my seat in the pew. (Notably, when Benedict XVI came to the United States for his tour in April 2008, he led a Vespers service in this Crypt Church with all the US bishops. He walked up and down this very aisle, and a picture in the cafeteria shows his procession in. On display in the crypt level is the chair Benedict sat in during his visit to the Shrine.)
Following Mass, I lingered for a little while longer in the Shrine before leaving, soaking in the special experience I had had in this awesome place. It was filled with such beautiful artwork, and brought together so many traditions from all over the world under one roof, speaking to the experience of faith. It was also an opportunity for me to celebrate my own faith. And this visit was timed so well as a way to celebrate a personally important occasion: the day before I visited, October 15, marked 8 years since my Confirmation. In this uplifted state of mind, I walked back to the Metro.
When I got back to Union Station, I decided to take a walk once around the US Capitol. (Notably, I was in Washington, DC, on the very last day of the federal government's shutdown, and I saw some people with protest signs by the Capitol.)
I then went back to Union Station and did a little shopping, especially at the Alamo Flags kiosk, one of my favorite stores ever. Then I bought my dinner, and subsequently went to my boarding gate, where there was already a line of people waiting to embark.
By the scheduled time of 4:05 PM, the train was on its way out of Washington, DC, bound for Chicago. I settled into my seat next to a friendly woman named Kimberly, as I took in the sights in the city, the suburbs, and beyond into the rural, scenic Appalachian highlands. (As we traveled along, I pulled out my dinner, a Greek grilled turkey sandwich on pita, which impressed Kimberly.)
(Here's a picture I got from the train while we stopped at Harper's Ferry, WV. This is the spot where the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers merge. The bridge in the picture carries trains and also foot traffic for the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. This spot is also not that far from where Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia meet.)
We were making pretty good time as night fell, until we got to Cumberland, MD. I wasn't exactly sure at the time what happened, but from what I could tell, there was a collision between the train and a car. (This news article has an account of what happened.) I don't remember feeling anything like a collision, but the incident was serious enough that the train had to stay still on the tracks just outside the station while the police investigated. The train finally pulled into the station an hour late. And there were a few more delays that occurred due to freight traffic during the night. Also in the night, I caught some glimpses of such cities as Pittsburg and Cleveland.
As we headed west from Toledo, the sun began to rise over the fields of northwestern Ohio and northeastern Indiana (see picture immediately below).
And there were some lovely fall colors to behold as we traveled along (see picture immediately above). It was nice to take in the sights along the route in the daylight as we traveled through northern Indiana into Chicago.
Shortly before 11 AM, we arrived at Chicago Union Station, bringing to a close another great trip engaging with the world of weather and through the scenes and sights of the eastern United States. To top it off, I traveled on the train, which, in the end, is a simply enjoyable way to get around and see this amazing and scenic country.
(Thanks to the man sitting near me who agreed to get this picture of me as we traveled through northern Indiana, nearing Chicago.)
I spent most of my ride north from South Carolina on the Silver Meteor in sleep mode. At Richmond, the kindly man I met when embarking departed. I awoke around 8 AM or so, as the train chugged through the fields of north central Virginia, over which the sun was shining through the veil of the clouds.
I soon recognized that we were in the Washington, DC, Metro Area when the tracks passed by the Franconia-Springfield Blue Line Metro station. The train followed the Blue Line corridor all the way to Alexandria, on tracks also used by the Virginia Railway Express commuter trains on their weekday morning runs. I got some pretty good views of Alexandria around the area where I once stayed on a short family trip to the area in 2004, and of the city of Washington as we neared Union Station.
We arrived a bit after 9 AM, about two hours late. But there was still plenty of time for me to spend in the illustrious city, and I took full advantage of it, especially to see one very spectacular place: the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
It seems that every time I've been to Washington, DC, in the past, there's at least one place I had thoughts about visiting, but didn't get the chance. Last time, during our summer 2011 trip, that place was the National Shrine.
When planning what I wanted to do during my layovers in DC on this trip, I floated lots of ideas, including the monuments on the National Mall. But that all changed when the federal government went into shutdown mode, and the monuments got barricaded--though I'm still not sure why that was really necessary. Interestingly, I wasn't really affected all that much by the shutdown until I went on this trip, as many NWS employees who were supposed to attend the NWA meeting, and even give presentations, couldn't come. And then there were sites I thought about seeing but couldn't. But in a sense, this was a blessing in disguise because if there was no shutdown, I would have been too tempted to pack in too much into too little time. (The shutdown also partly influenced my decision to walk around and go to Georgetown during my layover on Sunday on the way to South Carolina.)
At a certain point--I'm not sure if it was before or after the shutdown took effect--I floated the idea of going to the National Shrine. As I thought about it more and more, it really began to appeal to me as a way to spend my layover, especially in light of the shutdown. A professor I know at ValpU told me it had some spectacular artwork, and it had meaning for me as a spiritual place. Fortunately, it was one of the few sites in Washington, DC, that doesn't charge admission and wasn't affected by the shutdown. And surely the Church itself will never shut down so long as we, the people of the Church, do our part to keep it open, as God does His.
So after arrival at Union Station, I got some breakfast there (pancakes at Johnny Rocket's), and then made my way to the Metro Red Line and rode it three stops north to the Brookland-CUA station. Then I walked the short, approximately 10-minute distance, along Michigan Avenue, to the campus of Catholic University of America, and the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
At 11 AM, I went to the main desk on the lower level to start a guided tour, with a woman named Teresa. The Shrine has a main church, a crypt church, and, lining the sides of the church on both levels, 70 chapels and other oratories. Chapels have an altar where Mass is said. They range in sizes from literally being a small space in a wall where one priest stands to say Mass, to a large room that can hold twenty people. Oratories don't have an altar, but instead have a place to pray, with a particular devotion. There are so many things to see that an hourlong tour isn't sufficient to cover all of them, but Teresa showed me some highlights, and even took me to some areas I wanted to see.
She started off by telling me a little history. Bishop Shahan, rector of CUA, proposed building a shrine to Mary, Immaculate Conception, the Patroness of the United States of America, back in the 1910's. The Pope at the time, Pius X, gave approval for the project. He was the Pope who emphasized the Eucharist as a common rite for lay people, and also established Confraternity of Catholic Doctrine (CCD). There is a Chapel dedicated to his memory in the Shrine.
The Shrine building itself was finished in the 1950's, but work is still being done even unto today, with the addition of new Chapels, like one that was just finished a couple of years ago. The day I was there, crews were installing a new piece of artwork.
There are many Chapels dedicated to certain countries' expressions of Roman Catholicism, like Our Lady of La Vang of Vietnam, Our Lady of Lebanon, and Our Lady of Siluva of Lithuania. One notable Chapel was to Our Mother of Africa. This Chapel had artwork representing Africans' experience in America, including diagrams of the slave ships, and an artistic piece (see below) showing their progression from slavery through Jim Crow and to greater integration into US society.
In the Upper church (see below), Teresa showed me the artwork underneath the dome, and beyond it toward the apse. They showed scenes from Creation, of Jesus Christ, and the End Times. There were also pictures showing scenes of New Testament stories with their Old Testament counterparts. And there were statues of famous Jesuits and Franciscans.
Around noon, we concluded the tour, and I headed down to the Crypt Church for Mass. When I got there, the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament was going on, and the smell of the incense lingered as I took my seat in the pew. (Notably, when Benedict XVI came to the United States for his tour in April 2008, he led a Vespers service in this Crypt Church with all the US bishops. He walked up and down this very aisle, and a picture in the cafeteria shows his procession in. On display in the crypt level is the chair Benedict sat in during his visit to the Shrine.)
Following Mass, I lingered for a little while longer in the Shrine before leaving, soaking in the special experience I had had in this awesome place. It was filled with such beautiful artwork, and brought together so many traditions from all over the world under one roof, speaking to the experience of faith. It was also an opportunity for me to celebrate my own faith. And this visit was timed so well as a way to celebrate a personally important occasion: the day before I visited, October 15, marked 8 years since my Confirmation. In this uplifted state of mind, I walked back to the Metro.
When I got back to Union Station, I decided to take a walk once around the US Capitol. (Notably, I was in Washington, DC, on the very last day of the federal government's shutdown, and I saw some people with protest signs by the Capitol.)
I then went back to Union Station and did a little shopping, especially at the Alamo Flags kiosk, one of my favorite stores ever. Then I bought my dinner, and subsequently went to my boarding gate, where there was already a line of people waiting to embark.
By the scheduled time of 4:05 PM, the train was on its way out of Washington, DC, bound for Chicago. I settled into my seat next to a friendly woman named Kimberly, as I took in the sights in the city, the suburbs, and beyond into the rural, scenic Appalachian highlands. (As we traveled along, I pulled out my dinner, a Greek grilled turkey sandwich on pita, which impressed Kimberly.)
We were making pretty good time as night fell, until we got to Cumberland, MD. I wasn't exactly sure at the time what happened, but from what I could tell, there was a collision between the train and a car. (This news article has an account of what happened.) I don't remember feeling anything like a collision, but the incident was serious enough that the train had to stay still on the tracks just outside the station while the police investigated. The train finally pulled into the station an hour late. And there were a few more delays that occurred due to freight traffic during the night. Also in the night, I caught some glimpses of such cities as Pittsburg and Cleveland.
As we headed west from Toledo, the sun began to rise over the fields of northwestern Ohio and northeastern Indiana (see picture immediately below).
Shortly before 11 AM, we arrived at Chicago Union Station, bringing to a close another great trip engaging with the world of weather and through the scenes and sights of the eastern United States. To top it off, I traveled on the train, which, in the end, is a simply enjoyable way to get around and see this amazing and scenic country.
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Wreaths Across America
Saturday, December 14, marks Wreaths Across America Day 2013. Local organizations dedicated to honoring veterans gather at veterans' burial sites to place wreaths at their graves. The wreaths are paid for solely by donations from individuals and businesses.
I thought of this project almost by chance one morning about a month ago. I went online to find out more, and eventually sent in a form to have a wreath ordered for my grandpa. He served in World War II in the Pacific Theater, and now lies in rest at the Department of Veterans' Affairs Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery, near Elwood, IL, just south of Joliet.
My parents and I joined hundreds of others gathered to place wreaths there that day. After a brief ceremony at 11 AM (see picture above), with military honors, everyone scattered to the various sections of the cemetery to pick up the wreaths for placing. With the form in hand for my grandpa's wreath, we got one of the wreaths and then walked through the rows of headstones to place it at his.
It was a small gesture, laying a simple wreath at the grave of my grandpa with Mom (see picture above), but spoke volumes in its meaning, for someone we love, for someone who had taken up this noble service in his lifetime. Having served our country in life, we now honor them in their eternal rest, that we may continually remember what they did in sacrificing for us. I was so glad to have taken part in this project, which is such a touching tribute to our veterans, whom I'm sure we all desire to honor. Even Mom kept saying over and over how wonderful a project she thought this is.
The cemetery looked so beautifully with wreaths adorning many of the graves as we drove around to exit. It was great to see so many come out to help place the wreaths, as a sign of our love and gratitude for those who have served this country.
Wreaths Across America is making it its goal to lay a wreath at every veterans' gravesite. At the Lincoln cemetery alone, there are between 30000 and 40000 graves, and they usually have enough to cover, on avergae, a few thousand each year. They accept donations year round for the laying of wreaths on a select Saturday in December. To learn more about this project, and how you can help reach this goal, please visit their website: https://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/
(Thanks to Mom for getting all but one of the above pictures with her phone's camera. Thanks to Dad for getting the picture of Mom and I laying the wreath, and for getting us all down there in the midst of some snowy conditions.)
I thought of this project almost by chance one morning about a month ago. I went online to find out more, and eventually sent in a form to have a wreath ordered for my grandpa. He served in World War II in the Pacific Theater, and now lies in rest at the Department of Veterans' Affairs Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery, near Elwood, IL, just south of Joliet.
The cemetery looked so beautifully with wreaths adorning many of the graves as we drove around to exit. It was great to see so many come out to help place the wreaths, as a sign of our love and gratitude for those who have served this country.
God Bless you Grandpa Martin, and all our veterans in their rest.
(Thanks to Mom for getting all but one of the above pictures with her phone's camera. Thanks to Dad for getting the picture of Mom and I laying the wreath, and for getting us all down there in the midst of some snowy conditions.)
Friday, December 13, 2013
Quite a Symbol
It is quite a story, that of the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a.k.a. Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, or la Virgen de Guadalupe, in Spanish-ruled colonial Mexico, to an Aztec peasant, San Juan Diego. The local bishop had requested Juan present a sign as evidence of her appearance, to convince him to build a church on the site of Tepeyac Hill, which was her request. La Virgen, Mary, had already appeared to Juan a couple of times before, as a dark-skinned woman, wearing an aqua/greenish cloak, and in brilliant light, at a spot on that hill. When Juan told Mary of what the bishop said, she told him to gather up some of the freshly blooming roses from the hill in his cloak and open up it up before the bishop. When Juan did so, the roses fell out, and the image of the apparition of Mary appeared on the cloak.
From that time on, la Virgen de Guadalupe has been revered as an important symbol in Mexico, and has also been designated as the Patroness of the Americas. She is celebrated each year on December 12, which aptly comes just days after the Feast of Mary, Immaculate Conception, the Patronness of the United States of America.
Owing to myself being half-Mexican, and that being the ethnicity that most distinctly surfaces to the top for me, I regarded it as just the thing to do to participate in the festivities for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe yesterday.
First, I went over to my home parish, where the school students assembled for a special Mass, during which a few students did a reenactment of the story of la Virgen's apparition to San Juan Diego. While I was familiar with the story, this rendition brought to my attention a few details of which I was previously unaware.
Later, in the evening, I went to St. Mary of Celle Parish, nearby in Berwyn, for Mass for the Feast of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe--in Spanish. This was actually the second time I've been to Mass in Spanish. Having good command of the Spanish language, and regularly experiencing the Mass, it's quite an experience to combine both, as it gives me an opportunity to be both drawn into both. (Fortunately for me, it all happens not that far from home.)
For the occasion, there was a display set up near the altar at the front of the sanctuary of la Virgen's apparition to San Juan Diego on the hill. At the start of Mass, flowers were distributed to all the mothers present. Right before the offertory, all the mothers processed up to the display to place their flowers there. The Mass also featured many festive songs for the occasion.
Afterwards, there was a reception in the parish school next door. There was food consisting of tamales (of the green chile chicken and red chile pork varieties), pan dulce, and Mexican-style hot chocolate. Some dancers also came out to perform at the reception, some wearing Aztec-style garments and dancing to the loud beat of drums.
I was pleased to take part in these celebrations yesterday, knowing that what was before me was that which represents part of who I am. The aboriginal Aztec culture and Spanish Roman Catholic traditions combine for something specially Mexican on this occasion. And it all gets caught up the experience of Christian faith. To think that he works out His glorious plan of salvation, involving such humble and lowly people as San Juan Diego, to propagate the faith, that all peoples may come to know Him.
From that time on, la Virgen de Guadalupe has been revered as an important symbol in Mexico, and has also been designated as the Patroness of the Americas. She is celebrated each year on December 12, which aptly comes just days after the Feast of Mary, Immaculate Conception, the Patronness of the United States of America.
Owing to myself being half-Mexican, and that being the ethnicity that most distinctly surfaces to the top for me, I regarded it as just the thing to do to participate in the festivities for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe yesterday.
First, I went over to my home parish, where the school students assembled for a special Mass, during which a few students did a reenactment of the story of la Virgen's apparition to San Juan Diego. While I was familiar with the story, this rendition brought to my attention a few details of which I was previously unaware.
Later, in the evening, I went to St. Mary of Celle Parish, nearby in Berwyn, for Mass for the Feast of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe--in Spanish. This was actually the second time I've been to Mass in Spanish. Having good command of the Spanish language, and regularly experiencing the Mass, it's quite an experience to combine both, as it gives me an opportunity to be both drawn into both. (Fortunately for me, it all happens not that far from home.)
For the occasion, there was a display set up near the altar at the front of the sanctuary of la Virgen's apparition to San Juan Diego on the hill. At the start of Mass, flowers were distributed to all the mothers present. Right before the offertory, all the mothers processed up to the display to place their flowers there. The Mass also featured many festive songs for the occasion.
Afterwards, there was a reception in the parish school next door. There was food consisting of tamales (of the green chile chicken and red chile pork varieties), pan dulce, and Mexican-style hot chocolate. Some dancers also came out to perform at the reception, some wearing Aztec-style garments and dancing to the loud beat of drums.
I was pleased to take part in these celebrations yesterday, knowing that what was before me was that which represents part of who I am. The aboriginal Aztec culture and Spanish Roman Catholic traditions combine for something specially Mexican on this occasion. And it all gets caught up the experience of Christian faith. To think that he works out His glorious plan of salvation, involving such humble and lowly people as San Juan Diego, to propagate the faith, that all peoples may come to know Him.
Image of La Virgen de Guadalupe in the chapel dedicated to her at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, D.C.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Madiba Nelson Mandela: In Memoriam
South Africa, and the world, mourns the loss of a great symbol of the human struggle for freedom and justice for all.
Today, I paid my respects to Mr. Mandela by going to the South African Consulate General of Chicago. I walked into the building containing it across Michigan Avenue from the Art Institute (and next door to Orchestra Hall), and went up to the 6th floor. I was directed down a series of hallways to a meeting room. In there was a table that had a picture of Mr. Mandela, some flowers, and an official book of condolence from the Republic of South Africa. These books are at South African consulates and embassies all over the world, and people are invited to sign them. All this week, the Chicago Consulate General is inviting the public to sign its book. It is also available for signing at some other sites, too--click on the link above for more details.
I wrote my name in the book, and then wrote a note to the effect of the following: "Madiba Mandela, a one of a kind man on the world stage: His struggle for freedom for all people reverberates around the world, and urges us on in the work toward creating a better society for all people."
Similar to America's "Shot heard round the world", Nelson Mandela, through his role in the struggle against Apartheid, has become a symbol for humanity's struggle against injustice. So while South Africa lays a claim to him, he belongs the world, as the woman at the consulate remarked to me in our brief chat as I departed, referring to what Barack Obama said in his speech at the memorial service on Tuesday.
It was good to have this opportunity to pay respects to this man in such a humble way, joining with many others across the world in doing so. What's really cool is that the government of South Africa will take these books and put them in either Nelson Mandela's museum and/or give them to his family. My name and comment will be among the many that will be part of a lasting memorial to him.
Indeed, at this time, many are praising Madiba. Despite this, it's disheartening to discover details about some of his imperfections, including his record of support for abortion.
Nevertheless, there are many admirable things he did which are worthy of recognition. He struggled long and hard against a system of injustice, and was able to lead the country that imprisoned him. That's quite a story. And I hope it is one that continues inspiring all people throughout the world to seek a more just society for all people.
Today, I paid my respects to Mr. Mandela by going to the South African Consulate General of Chicago. I walked into the building containing it across Michigan Avenue from the Art Institute (and next door to Orchestra Hall), and went up to the 6th floor. I was directed down a series of hallways to a meeting room. In there was a table that had a picture of Mr. Mandela, some flowers, and an official book of condolence from the Republic of South Africa. These books are at South African consulates and embassies all over the world, and people are invited to sign them. All this week, the Chicago Consulate General is inviting the public to sign its book. It is also available for signing at some other sites, too--click on the link above for more details.
I wrote my name in the book, and then wrote a note to the effect of the following: "Madiba Mandela, a one of a kind man on the world stage: His struggle for freedom for all people reverberates around the world, and urges us on in the work toward creating a better society for all people."
Similar to America's "Shot heard round the world", Nelson Mandela, through his role in the struggle against Apartheid, has become a symbol for humanity's struggle against injustice. So while South Africa lays a claim to him, he belongs the world, as the woman at the consulate remarked to me in our brief chat as I departed, referring to what Barack Obama said in his speech at the memorial service on Tuesday.
It was good to have this opportunity to pay respects to this man in such a humble way, joining with many others across the world in doing so. What's really cool is that the government of South Africa will take these books and put them in either Nelson Mandela's museum and/or give them to his family. My name and comment will be among the many that will be part of a lasting memorial to him.
Indeed, at this time, many are praising Madiba. Despite this, it's disheartening to discover details about some of his imperfections, including his record of support for abortion.
Nevertheless, there are many admirable things he did which are worthy of recognition. He struggled long and hard against a system of injustice, and was able to lead the country that imprisoned him. That's quite a story. And I hope it is one that continues inspiring all people throughout the world to seek a more just society for all people.
Thursday, December 5, 2013
A Distinction
On December 5 in the auspicious year of 1776, the scholastic honor society Phi Beta Kappa was founded in Williamsburg, Virginia, by people at the College of William and Mary.
On May 17, 2013, an auspicious year of my life, I was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa chapter at Valparaiso University, along with about 20-30 others, the majority of whom would graduate from ValpU two days later. ValpU recently entered into this prestigious society, within the past decade or so, having met the rigorous standards to have such a chapter.
I was reminded of PBK's founding date earlier today when I looked at the entries in the Chicago Tribune's almanac. It gives me pause to think about what my membership in this society means.
I went into college with the intention of studying the science of meteorology. I came out with a scientific education complimented by studies in the liberal arts. The combined science and liberal arts education I received at ValpU has surely made me a well-rounded person with a great mind and strong character. I look at the world in ways shaped by the analytical skills of science and those that come out of the liberal arts, with no small thanks to all my humanities studies, especially philosophy, in Christ College.
So it was with great pleasure that I entered into Phi Beta Kappa, as it represents a distinction that I am pleased to carry forth into the rest of my life.
On May 17, 2013, an auspicious year of my life, I was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa chapter at Valparaiso University, along with about 20-30 others, the majority of whom would graduate from ValpU two days later. ValpU recently entered into this prestigious society, within the past decade or so, having met the rigorous standards to have such a chapter.
I was reminded of PBK's founding date earlier today when I looked at the entries in the Chicago Tribune's almanac. It gives me pause to think about what my membership in this society means.
I went into college with the intention of studying the science of meteorology. I came out with a scientific education complimented by studies in the liberal arts. The combined science and liberal arts education I received at ValpU has surely made me a well-rounded person with a great mind and strong character. I look at the world in ways shaped by the analytical skills of science and those that come out of the liberal arts, with no small thanks to all my humanities studies, especially philosophy, in Christ College.
So it was with great pleasure that I entered into Phi Beta Kappa, as it represents a distinction that I am pleased to carry forth into the rest of my life.
Monday, December 2, 2013
Illinois, Illinois, and 10 Years for Popcorn
It's that time of year again: December 3, the day Illinois became the 21st US state, back in 1818, under the administration of President James Monroe.
At some point during the day, I plan to enjoy some of Illinois's official state snack food: popcorn. In fact, it's been a whole decade since that day in August 2003 when, surrounded by Joliet elementary school students, reminiscent of other students who campaigned for official state symbols, former Governor Rod Blajojevich signed the bill that made it official. And I imagine he'll spend the next decade munching on peach and mint flavored popcorn in prison.
Alas, Illinois has bad characters, not to mention a host of other issues, including violence plaguing Chicago's streets. But in many ways, Illinois is privileged to have such a great and large city like Chicago. (Sometimes I forget how big Chicago really is living right in its shadow.) It is full of industrial might, like what Alexander Hamilton envisioned would drive the United States back in the early days of the Republic. It also has an amazing patchwork of neighborhoods, and suburbs, too, where peoples and ethnicities from all over the world converge. And then there are those fabulous cultural institutions and other great attractions. Plus, Chicago sits right on the southwest shoreline of Lake Michigan, thanks to the efforts of one man who advocated to have Illinois's northern border shifted north about 100 miles so that it could have a shoreline on that great Lake.
And Lake Michigan forms just one part of a great network of geographical features, whose potential was first tapped by aboriginal peoples, then early European explorers, and then settlers, who launched settlements that became great cities. This network includes many rivers running all over the plains and fields of flat Illinois--flat, that is, expect for the hilly northwest part, where Charles Mound, the state's highest point, is located. Even from a map, it is clear that Illinois is nestled in between the Mississippi and Wabash Rivers.
From those fields arise an abundance of agricultural products, in keeping with Thomas Jefferson's vision for the US back in the early days of the Republic. Those products include much corn, to make all popcorn. (And you'd think Indiana would have tried to take that before us.)
So those are some things I'm going to keep in mind on this occasion, and even more so as we draw closer to the Bicentennial of Illinois in 2018.
To close, I share with you the State Song of Illinois, called "Illinois". I've only heard it sung once, in a YouTube video, but each time I read over the words, I'm struck by how beautifully poetic it is, as they speak to what makes Illinois special in the United States of America. They are words I utter every time I cross back into Illinois after being in another state.
You can go to this link to read it and see for yourself, as you celebrate Illinois: http://www.50states.com/songs/illinois.htm
At some point during the day, I plan to enjoy some of Illinois's official state snack food: popcorn. In fact, it's been a whole decade since that day in August 2003 when, surrounded by Joliet elementary school students, reminiscent of other students who campaigned for official state symbols, former Governor Rod Blajojevich signed the bill that made it official. And I imagine he'll spend the next decade munching on peach and mint flavored popcorn in prison.
Alas, Illinois has bad characters, not to mention a host of other issues, including violence plaguing Chicago's streets. But in many ways, Illinois is privileged to have such a great and large city like Chicago. (Sometimes I forget how big Chicago really is living right in its shadow.) It is full of industrial might, like what Alexander Hamilton envisioned would drive the United States back in the early days of the Republic. It also has an amazing patchwork of neighborhoods, and suburbs, too, where peoples and ethnicities from all over the world converge. And then there are those fabulous cultural institutions and other great attractions. Plus, Chicago sits right on the southwest shoreline of Lake Michigan, thanks to the efforts of one man who advocated to have Illinois's northern border shifted north about 100 miles so that it could have a shoreline on that great Lake.
And Lake Michigan forms just one part of a great network of geographical features, whose potential was first tapped by aboriginal peoples, then early European explorers, and then settlers, who launched settlements that became great cities. This network includes many rivers running all over the plains and fields of flat Illinois--flat, that is, expect for the hilly northwest part, where Charles Mound, the state's highest point, is located. Even from a map, it is clear that Illinois is nestled in between the Mississippi and Wabash Rivers.
From those fields arise an abundance of agricultural products, in keeping with Thomas Jefferson's vision for the US back in the early days of the Republic. Those products include much corn, to make all popcorn. (And you'd think Indiana would have tried to take that before us.)
So those are some things I'm going to keep in mind on this occasion, and even more so as we draw closer to the Bicentennial of Illinois in 2018.
To close, I share with you the State Song of Illinois, called "Illinois". I've only heard it sung once, in a YouTube video, but each time I read over the words, I'm struck by how beautifully poetic it is, as they speak to what makes Illinois special in the United States of America. They are words I utter every time I cross back into Illinois after being in another state.
You can go to this link to read it and see for yourself, as you celebrate Illinois: http://www.50states.com/songs/illinois.htm
Friday, November 29, 2013
A Letter to Secretary Jewell
This is Native American Heritage Month. It makes me think back to the beginning of March, when I went on a mission/service trip to the St. Augustine Roman Catholic Mission on the Winnebago Reservation in Nebraska. That trip was on my mind when I came across a news story in June about remarks Sally Jewel, the new Secretary of the Interior, made at the National Congress of American Indians. She was filled with emotion as she recounted the government's imperfect track record of upholding promises to the Native Americans, and pledged to work more for them during her four years. I was inspired to hear such words come from a high-level government official. I decided to write her about my experiences at St. Augustine. Here is the text of my letter:
As I read this news article, I was taken back to an experience I had recently with Native American culture. At the beginning of March, during the first week of my Spring Break at Valparaiso University, I went with a group of 12 college students and 4 chaperones from St. Teresa of Avila, the Roman Catholic Student Center at ValpU, on a service/mission trip to St. Augustine Mission in northeastern Nebraska. It is located in Winnebago, on the reservation of the same name, and serves the people of both the Winnebago and Omaha Reservations. The mission ties together four different churches in the local area, on both reservations, and there is a parochial school at St. Augustine. St. Teresa's had formed a sister parish relationship with St. Augustine a couple years before we went on this trip.
During our week there, we engaged in service work, tending to various projects at St. Augustine, and a nearby parish, St. Joseph, in Walthill. These projects included cleaning churches, painting a room in the St. Augustine church, sorting clothing donations, reorganizing storage spaces (including a food pantry), and doing demolition work. We even spent time with the students in the classrooms at St. Augustine school. We also engaged in cultural immersion activities, getting to know the people there and their experiences.
We were fortunate enough to be there on the Feast Day of St. Katharine Drexel, the nun who founded this mission back in the early 20th Century. (Notably, this is one of a few sites in the United States associated with a Roman Catholic saint.) There were special elements incorporated into the Mass that Sunday morning to celebrate her and the mission, songs in the native languages, and even a communal buffet meal afterwards. Later that day, a man who works at the school, Dwight, took us on a tour of both reservations, explaining aspects of the Omaha and Winnebago cultures, as well as the lifestyle of the people there, often fraught with restrictions laid on by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The joke is that BIA really stands for “Bossing Indians Around”. Indeed, the people on the reservations aren’t even allowed to sell and buy land, as they must go through the BIA to handle those transactions for them. At one point during the week, one person in our group, when he came across a BIA employee, asked him why the BIA even exists.
We also saw that the people there live a dilapidated lifestyle. They don’t live in the best homes, and economic opportunities for them are limited. This is especially the case on the Omaha Reservation, whose leadership has been corrupted by nepotism. The Winnebago have fared better, as they have invested funds into businesses there. The public schools there are lacking in quality. Fortunately, St. Augustine’s school provides an excellent curriculum for its students that helps them excel. They even provide instruction in the Ho-Chunk language, and I was fortunate enough to sit in on a Ho-Chunk language class. This is definitely a positive change as the mission seeks to affirm the culture, whereas before, the mission sought to stamp out the culture, even as part of the US government’s efforts to do so, and we heard some stories about the abuses that occurred as a result. Yet the school only provides the students such an excellent education through 8th grade. At that point, the families have the tough decision to make to either send them to the nearby public high school, which doesn’t provide them with as high-quality an education, or to a parochial high school miles away, which is quite an investment. Even for those youths who excel, they often end up leaving the reservation to engage their high level of education and skills elsewhere, instead of investing it back in their communities, so that there is a brain-drain on the reservation.
Yet there is hope, especially in the work that the St. Augustine Mission does to support the culture, and to provide a superior education for its students. There are even people who take the initiative to preserve their own culture, like Dwight, and others we met, like the college student who helps teach the Ho-Chunk language as a teacher's aide. We as a group represented hope, because we devoted a portion of our Spring Break to go there, taking care of various tasks that needed to be done, and being present to the people there, who were so appreciative of our presence, and willing to share with us on such a deep level. We were even invited to participate in the Sweat Lodge ceremony, which is one part of our week that stands out so profoundly in my mind.
I hope that as you make efforts to improve the lives of aboriginal Native Americans that you keep in mind the good works being done by St. Augustine to support the local culture, and even of our group that made the point to go there and experience the culture. Hopefully more people will make the point to really get to know aboriginal Americans and their rich cultures.
I thank you for your commitment to these people. Indeed, it was especially notable when you said, “I can't reverse all of that in a four-year period of time, but I can make important progress,” speaking of the federal government’s imperfect track record of fulfilling promises to the Native Americans. We can’t do everything, but we can do something. We can lay a foundation that will lead to greater things for the aboriginal Americans.
This all makes me think of a monument being built to honor Crazy Horse in South Dakota. It is literally being carved out of an entire mountain. When finished, the monument will show Crazy Horse riding a horse. Right now, only the face is complete, with the part of the mountain where the arm will extend out having been carved away. The task ahead is daunting, and long from being complete. But there is a start, upon which a great finished product will emerge. I hope that this serves as a metaphor to spur us on in the work to make whole again the lives of the aboriginal Americans. The tide is beginning to turn to support them. Let us be spurred on in the work ahead of us, persevering to support the rich culture of the First Nations peoples.
Dear Secretary Jewell:
Back at the end
of June, I came across a news article about remarks you made at the National
Congress of American Indians in Reno. I
was greatly heartened by the immense amount of support you seek to give to the
various tribes in helping improve their current circumstances. As I read this news article, I was taken back to an experience I had recently with Native American culture. At the beginning of March, during the first week of my Spring Break at Valparaiso University, I went with a group of 12 college students and 4 chaperones from St. Teresa of Avila, the Roman Catholic Student Center at ValpU, on a service/mission trip to St. Augustine Mission in northeastern Nebraska. It is located in Winnebago, on the reservation of the same name, and serves the people of both the Winnebago and Omaha Reservations. The mission ties together four different churches in the local area, on both reservations, and there is a parochial school at St. Augustine. St. Teresa's had formed a sister parish relationship with St. Augustine a couple years before we went on this trip.
During our week there, we engaged in service work, tending to various projects at St. Augustine, and a nearby parish, St. Joseph, in Walthill. These projects included cleaning churches, painting a room in the St. Augustine church, sorting clothing donations, reorganizing storage spaces (including a food pantry), and doing demolition work. We even spent time with the students in the classrooms at St. Augustine school. We also engaged in cultural immersion activities, getting to know the people there and their experiences.
We were fortunate enough to be there on the Feast Day of St. Katharine Drexel, the nun who founded this mission back in the early 20th Century. (Notably, this is one of a few sites in the United States associated with a Roman Catholic saint.) There were special elements incorporated into the Mass that Sunday morning to celebrate her and the mission, songs in the native languages, and even a communal buffet meal afterwards. Later that day, a man who works at the school, Dwight, took us on a tour of both reservations, explaining aspects of the Omaha and Winnebago cultures, as well as the lifestyle of the people there, often fraught with restrictions laid on by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The joke is that BIA really stands for “Bossing Indians Around”. Indeed, the people on the reservations aren’t even allowed to sell and buy land, as they must go through the BIA to handle those transactions for them. At one point during the week, one person in our group, when he came across a BIA employee, asked him why the BIA even exists.
We also saw that the people there live a dilapidated lifestyle. They don’t live in the best homes, and economic opportunities for them are limited. This is especially the case on the Omaha Reservation, whose leadership has been corrupted by nepotism. The Winnebago have fared better, as they have invested funds into businesses there. The public schools there are lacking in quality. Fortunately, St. Augustine’s school provides an excellent curriculum for its students that helps them excel. They even provide instruction in the Ho-Chunk language, and I was fortunate enough to sit in on a Ho-Chunk language class. This is definitely a positive change as the mission seeks to affirm the culture, whereas before, the mission sought to stamp out the culture, even as part of the US government’s efforts to do so, and we heard some stories about the abuses that occurred as a result. Yet the school only provides the students such an excellent education through 8th grade. At that point, the families have the tough decision to make to either send them to the nearby public high school, which doesn’t provide them with as high-quality an education, or to a parochial high school miles away, which is quite an investment. Even for those youths who excel, they often end up leaving the reservation to engage their high level of education and skills elsewhere, instead of investing it back in their communities, so that there is a brain-drain on the reservation.
Yet there is hope, especially in the work that the St. Augustine Mission does to support the culture, and to provide a superior education for its students. There are even people who take the initiative to preserve their own culture, like Dwight, and others we met, like the college student who helps teach the Ho-Chunk language as a teacher's aide. We as a group represented hope, because we devoted a portion of our Spring Break to go there, taking care of various tasks that needed to be done, and being present to the people there, who were so appreciative of our presence, and willing to share with us on such a deep level. We were even invited to participate in the Sweat Lodge ceremony, which is one part of our week that stands out so profoundly in my mind.
I hope that as you make efforts to improve the lives of aboriginal Native Americans that you keep in mind the good works being done by St. Augustine to support the local culture, and even of our group that made the point to go there and experience the culture. Hopefully more people will make the point to really get to know aboriginal Americans and their rich cultures.
I thank you for your commitment to these people. Indeed, it was especially notable when you said, “I can't reverse all of that in a four-year period of time, but I can make important progress,” speaking of the federal government’s imperfect track record of fulfilling promises to the Native Americans. We can’t do everything, but we can do something. We can lay a foundation that will lead to greater things for the aboriginal Americans.
This all makes me think of a monument being built to honor Crazy Horse in South Dakota. It is literally being carved out of an entire mountain. When finished, the monument will show Crazy Horse riding a horse. Right now, only the face is complete, with the part of the mountain where the arm will extend out having been carved away. The task ahead is daunting, and long from being complete. But there is a start, upon which a great finished product will emerge. I hope that this serves as a metaphor to spur us on in the work to make whole again the lives of the aboriginal Americans. The tide is beginning to turn to support them. Let us be spurred on in the work ahead of us, persevering to support the rich culture of the First Nations peoples.
Sincerely,
Paul Rubio
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Community, Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is definitely one of my favorite holidays. It combines patriotism with faith, making it a true American Holy Day.
I also enjoy this occasion for the wonderful opportunity to savor one of my favorite foods: an over-cooked turkey. I am enamored by it and all the other fixings that grace the Thanksgiving table.
But this year was special for one particular reason, going beyond the food on the dinner table. Earlier in the day, as has become a cherished habit of mine in the past few years, I partook of a meal at another table, that of the Eucharistic feast at the altar at Church. And for the first time, I served as Eucharistic minister. There I was, during the communion rite, handing the Body of Christ to the people in the community of faith at Church. Repeating "The Body of Christ", over and over, to each person who stepped in front of me, became like a prayer of sorts.
Indeed, community was a theme that surfaced during today's celebration at Mass. God comes to each of us individually, working His marvel of salvation in our lives, and discipling us into the ways of Eternal Life. We come to express our thanksgiving to Him as a result, doing so as a community. We join together to pray, hear God's Word, sing, and partake of the One Body of Christ at the meal that comes from the Greek word for "thanksgiving". We are many, but join together as One in this celebration of the One. And it is what we experience in this celebration that sends us forth on our common mission, as we live out a life of Thanksgiving before God, who is the reason for our Thanksgiving. (Even the homilist spoke about how we value the opportunity to be with people on Thanksgiving Day.)
This occasion induces all of us to ponder more deeply what we are thankful for. And while I certainly can name many things I'm thankful for, the one thing that surfaces to the top for me this Thanksgiving Day, which I'm most thankful for, is the community of faith. I've come to especially appreciate and embrace all the opportunities I have to spend time with people at Church, and ministries to be involved in, during and outside of Mass. Indeed, I always have a good feeling when I step out of the house and start walking toward Church, because I know I'm going to a very special place. While I've certainly sensed this for years, I have sensed it with special fervor in more recent months.
One final thought I have on this Thanksgiving: It was around this time 150 years ago, in 1863, that Americans celebrated the first annual Thanksgiving Day, which had been established by a Presidential Proclamation back at the beginning of October that year. I read President Lincoln's proclamation at dinner, and as I did so, I couldn't help but notice all the wonderful things he said the country had to be thankful for, such as bountiful agriculture harvests, large production of other resources, and development of new settlements. And he was saying all of this while the country was in the midst of a terrible war. It really says something when he could be so expressive in thanksgiving in the midst of trying times. Perhaps that's what gives Thanksgiving substance, when it is born out of a recognition that we still have so much to be thankful for, even in hard times, because of what we already have.
As a person of faith, I certainly recognize that with God with us, ultimately working all circumstances in our favor. Indeed, in God, we are all taken care of. So we can always go forth with strong purpose in life, especially Thanksgiving.
I also enjoy this occasion for the wonderful opportunity to savor one of my favorite foods: an over-cooked turkey. I am enamored by it and all the other fixings that grace the Thanksgiving table.
But this year was special for one particular reason, going beyond the food on the dinner table. Earlier in the day, as has become a cherished habit of mine in the past few years, I partook of a meal at another table, that of the Eucharistic feast at the altar at Church. And for the first time, I served as Eucharistic minister. There I was, during the communion rite, handing the Body of Christ to the people in the community of faith at Church. Repeating "The Body of Christ", over and over, to each person who stepped in front of me, became like a prayer of sorts.
Indeed, community was a theme that surfaced during today's celebration at Mass. God comes to each of us individually, working His marvel of salvation in our lives, and discipling us into the ways of Eternal Life. We come to express our thanksgiving to Him as a result, doing so as a community. We join together to pray, hear God's Word, sing, and partake of the One Body of Christ at the meal that comes from the Greek word for "thanksgiving". We are many, but join together as One in this celebration of the One. And it is what we experience in this celebration that sends us forth on our common mission, as we live out a life of Thanksgiving before God, who is the reason for our Thanksgiving. (Even the homilist spoke about how we value the opportunity to be with people on Thanksgiving Day.)
This occasion induces all of us to ponder more deeply what we are thankful for. And while I certainly can name many things I'm thankful for, the one thing that surfaces to the top for me this Thanksgiving Day, which I'm most thankful for, is the community of faith. I've come to especially appreciate and embrace all the opportunities I have to spend time with people at Church, and ministries to be involved in, during and outside of Mass. Indeed, I always have a good feeling when I step out of the house and start walking toward Church, because I know I'm going to a very special place. While I've certainly sensed this for years, I have sensed it with special fervor in more recent months.
One final thought I have on this Thanksgiving: It was around this time 150 years ago, in 1863, that Americans celebrated the first annual Thanksgiving Day, which had been established by a Presidential Proclamation back at the beginning of October that year. I read President Lincoln's proclamation at dinner, and as I did so, I couldn't help but notice all the wonderful things he said the country had to be thankful for, such as bountiful agriculture harvests, large production of other resources, and development of new settlements. And he was saying all of this while the country was in the midst of a terrible war. It really says something when he could be so expressive in thanksgiving in the midst of trying times. Perhaps that's what gives Thanksgiving substance, when it is born out of a recognition that we still have so much to be thankful for, even in hard times, because of what we already have.
As a person of faith, I certainly recognize that with God with us, ultimately working all circumstances in our favor. Indeed, in God, we are all taken care of. So we can always go forth with strong purpose in life, especially Thanksgiving.
Here two symbols of Thanksgiving come together in one picture: On the left is the US flag, representing how much we have to be thankful for in this great country. Then, to the right, there's the dome of Ascension Roman Catholic Church, on whose top is a (greenish) statue representing Christ in His Glory, who attained for us salvation, and is our reason for Thanksgiving, on this occasion, and at all times we gather for the Eucharist.
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Ambling around in "CharlesTown"
So I arrived early in the morning of October 14. I was able to check-in early to my hotel, even though I had to wait about an hour and a half until 7 AM.
After getting my luggage into the room, I headed off to the Convention Center. It is a medium-sized space that served the NWA meeting well, as it is not as large of an affair as the AMS Annual Meeting. It is located right next door to the Coliseum, which is a performing arts venue. As I walked the 1000-yard distance (that was according to the convention center's website), I started to take notice that I was really in South Carolina with the Palmetto trees lining the streets.
The convention center is located in a commercial area of North Charleston. To the north of the center is an area with lots of shops and restaurants, anchored by Tanger Outlet store. On Monday, I spent most of my time at the meeting, venturing away a couple of times.
First, I went out for lunch with the group of ValpU people I met there. We walked to the edge of the Convention Center/Coliseum parking lot into a wooded area, then on a boardwalk, and then across the Hilton Hotel parking lot where there was a Wendy's.
Later, in the early evening, I walked up north from the convention center into the commercial area, and stopped in at the Wal-Mart there.
The next day, Tuesday, after attending sessions, I decided to take a trek into downtown Charleston. When I was planning this trip, I had thought about taking the time to go downtown and then go to Fort Sumter. However, it was closed because the federal government was in shutdown mode. While I could have still taken a curtailed tour of the harbor, which would have normally included a stop at Fort Sumter, I decided to just head down for an afternoon and walk around, with the hope of returning to Charleston and tour not only Fort Sumter, but also Fort Moultrie, once built of the sturdy Palmettos, which became South Carolina's proud symbol.
I got a quick lunch, and then hopped on the free NASH (North Area Shuttle) Bus, which circulates in a loop in the Tanger Outlet and Convention Center area, and rode it to the Charleston International Airport. There, I picked up the CARTA (Charleston Area Rapid Transit Authority) bus #11, and rode it all the way to its terminus downtown. The ride took close to an hour, and I passed through a number of residential and commercial areas in the north suburbs and then the city proper. Some areas looked a bit worn, even right up into the downtown area. (It was a good day for an outing like this, with warm temperatures close to 80, under sunny skies.)
After disembarking, I started walking around. I went to the Visitors' Center to acquiant myself with the historic downtown area. Historic buildings line all the streets, and many of them look quite resplendent. At one point, I hopped on a free (and crowded) trolley--there are a number of Downtown Area Shuttle (DASH) trolley routes--and rode it a few blocks as I sought to follow an itinerary I was making up on the spot for places I wanted to see within a couple of hours' time.
As I walked east when where I disembarked the trolley, I stumbled upon quite a discovery: the Charleston Marketplace. I had no idea of the existence of a marketplace full of vendors stretching for blocks in the median of traffic going east toward the waterfront. They sold all kinds of handicrafts, apparel, food, and souvenirs. I kept walking east, looking over all of it.
At one point, I stepped inside a shop, and a man was there weaving roses made out of palmettos, and asked me if I wanted one. After verifying it was genuine South Carolian Palmetto, I bought one for $2. (As I continued walking around, I saw some others on the streetsides weaving Palmetto roses.)
Once I reached the eastern end of the marketplace, I headed south on Bay Street. I passed by Rainbow Row, a collection of houses painted with vivid colors.
Eventually, I came upon the edge of the waterfront, and walked along it all the way to the Battery. It was there that I caught sight of Fort Sumter. At least, I had to assume it was Fort Sumter, because I couldn't think of what else could be out there in that spot in the harbor toward the Atlantic Ocean. I looked into the water area at the site that began one of the most significant conflicts in US history.
Then I looked around the Park at the Battery, recognizing the site as the one place from South Carolina virtually recreated in the Where in the USA is Carmen Sandiego? Amtrak version computer game, which I played often in my childhood.
Then I headed north from the park, taking in views of the resplendent homes, wondering about the lifestyle of their wealthy inhabitants back in the 18th Century when Charleston was a prospering port city.
I also took note of the site of the hall where the Ordinance of Secession was approved for South Carolina, whereby it effectively lef the United States. I had thought maybe that action had taken place in the state capital in Columbia, but the info sign in front of the site (now a bank building) made it clear that while the proceedings started there, they came to their momentous end in Charleston.
While walking along, I just had to pose for a picture by South Carolina's symbol, a Palmetto tree. (Thanks to the woman walking with a man I stopped for taking this picture, to the right.)
Getting on toward 5 PM, I hopped on a DASH trolley to reach the visitors' Center, where I purchased another snow globe for my collection. Then I waited for the #11 bus to take me back to North Charleston. This time, being on the northbound route, it dropped me off by the Tanger Outlet. I got dinner, and then rode the NASH to the intersection near my hotel.
After taking some time to have dinner in the hotel breakfast area, I walked to the bus stop to catch the #104 bus that went along the Montague Avenue corridor. It dropped me off right by the train tracks, and I walked south about 5 minutes or so to the train station. There I waited for the northbound Silver Meteor train, which got stuck behind a freight train about 10 miles away and showed up more than an hour and a half late. In the mean time, I got talking with some of my fellow passengers and others who were there to see people off or pick people up.
I was on my way just after 11 PM and settled in for the night, heading north toward the illustrious Capital city of the United States, the start of my journey home, which you can read more about in a subsequent post...
After getting my luggage into the room, I headed off to the Convention Center. It is a medium-sized space that served the NWA meeting well, as it is not as large of an affair as the AMS Annual Meeting. It is located right next door to the Coliseum, which is a performing arts venue. As I walked the 1000-yard distance (that was according to the convention center's website), I started to take notice that I was really in South Carolina with the Palmetto trees lining the streets.
The convention center is located in a commercial area of North Charleston. To the north of the center is an area with lots of shops and restaurants, anchored by Tanger Outlet store. On Monday, I spent most of my time at the meeting, venturing away a couple of times.
First, I went out for lunch with the group of ValpU people I met there. We walked to the edge of the Convention Center/Coliseum parking lot into a wooded area, then on a boardwalk, and then across the Hilton Hotel parking lot where there was a Wendy's.
Later, in the early evening, I walked up north from the convention center into the commercial area, and stopped in at the Wal-Mart there.
The next day, Tuesday, after attending sessions, I decided to take a trek into downtown Charleston. When I was planning this trip, I had thought about taking the time to go downtown and then go to Fort Sumter. However, it was closed because the federal government was in shutdown mode. While I could have still taken a curtailed tour of the harbor, which would have normally included a stop at Fort Sumter, I decided to just head down for an afternoon and walk around, with the hope of returning to Charleston and tour not only Fort Sumter, but also Fort Moultrie, once built of the sturdy Palmettos, which became South Carolina's proud symbol.
I got a quick lunch, and then hopped on the free NASH (North Area Shuttle) Bus, which circulates in a loop in the Tanger Outlet and Convention Center area, and rode it to the Charleston International Airport. There, I picked up the CARTA (Charleston Area Rapid Transit Authority) bus #11, and rode it all the way to its terminus downtown. The ride took close to an hour, and I passed through a number of residential and commercial areas in the north suburbs and then the city proper. Some areas looked a bit worn, even right up into the downtown area. (It was a good day for an outing like this, with warm temperatures close to 80, under sunny skies.)
After disembarking, I started walking around. I went to the Visitors' Center to acquiant myself with the historic downtown area. Historic buildings line all the streets, and many of them look quite resplendent. At one point, I hopped on a free (and crowded) trolley--there are a number of Downtown Area Shuttle (DASH) trolley routes--and rode it a few blocks as I sought to follow an itinerary I was making up on the spot for places I wanted to see within a couple of hours' time.
As I walked east when where I disembarked the trolley, I stumbled upon quite a discovery: the Charleston Marketplace. I had no idea of the existence of a marketplace full of vendors stretching for blocks in the median of traffic going east toward the waterfront. They sold all kinds of handicrafts, apparel, food, and souvenirs. I kept walking east, looking over all of it.
At one point, I stepped inside a shop, and a man was there weaving roses made out of palmettos, and asked me if I wanted one. After verifying it was genuine South Carolian Palmetto, I bought one for $2. (As I continued walking around, I saw some others on the streetsides weaving Palmetto roses.)
Once I reached the eastern end of the marketplace, I headed south on Bay Street. I passed by Rainbow Row, a collection of houses painted with vivid colors.
Eventually, I came upon the edge of the waterfront, and walked along it all the way to the Battery. It was there that I caught sight of Fort Sumter. At least, I had to assume it was Fort Sumter, because I couldn't think of what else could be out there in that spot in the harbor toward the Atlantic Ocean. I looked into the water area at the site that began one of the most significant conflicts in US history.
Then I looked around the Park at the Battery, recognizing the site as the one place from South Carolina virtually recreated in the Where in the USA is Carmen Sandiego? Amtrak version computer game, which I played often in my childhood.
Then I headed north from the park, taking in views of the resplendent homes, wondering about the lifestyle of their wealthy inhabitants back in the 18th Century when Charleston was a prospering port city.
I also took note of the site of the hall where the Ordinance of Secession was approved for South Carolina, whereby it effectively lef the United States. I had thought maybe that action had taken place in the state capital in Columbia, but the info sign in front of the site (now a bank building) made it clear that while the proceedings started there, they came to their momentous end in Charleston.While walking along, I just had to pose for a picture by South Carolina's symbol, a Palmetto tree. (Thanks to the woman walking with a man I stopped for taking this picture, to the right.)
Getting on toward 5 PM, I hopped on a DASH trolley to reach the visitors' Center, where I purchased another snow globe for my collection. Then I waited for the #11 bus to take me back to North Charleston. This time, being on the northbound route, it dropped me off by the Tanger Outlet. I got dinner, and then rode the NASH to the intersection near my hotel.
After taking some time to have dinner in the hotel breakfast area, I walked to the bus stop to catch the #104 bus that went along the Montague Avenue corridor. It dropped me off right by the train tracks, and I walked south about 5 minutes or so to the train station. There I waited for the northbound Silver Meteor train, which got stuck behind a freight train about 10 miles away and showed up more than an hour and a half late. In the mean time, I got talking with some of my fellow passengers and others who were there to see people off or pick people up.
I was on my way just after 11 PM and settled in for the night, heading north toward the illustrious Capital city of the United States, the start of my journey home, which you can read more about in a subsequent post...
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