This week, Americans marked 50 years since the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, at which Rev. King gave a speech in which he talked about his dream. That one speech has certainly had a lasting affect on the United States, as I can remember learning about it early on in elementary school, and Valparaiso University holds many festivities for M.L. King Day every year in January. It has pushed us on to make a better life for all people in this country a reality, even today, when work remains to be completed. (I learned a lot about what led up the March, and other things that happened at it, beyond Dr. King's speech
In light of the anniversary of this March and the speech, I think about to something that happened 130 years before it, across an ocean, and the man behind it. In August 1833, the British Parliament banned slavery in their entire empire. This came in wave of activity to reform British society, which had led to the abolition of the slave trade in 1807, an effort spearheaded in the British parliament by William Wilberforce, whose birthday is August 24. He is one of a few individuals I consider a saint. He worked tirelessly to end an evil against human beings. His eloquent story is told in the movie Amazing Grace, which is one of my favorites.
His fierce advocacy to end slavery at a time when the vast majority of people considered it completely acceptable was clearly driven by a power great than himself. I am convinced his faith in God, and a belief in Jesus Christ through the Gospel, led him to see slavery for what it is, and drove him to bring an end to it.
I feel that same faith has the power to rid the world of present-day evils, and is a mighty force in the current debates on moral issues. (As I watched the movie on Mr. Wilberforce's birthday, I couldn't help but see so many parallels between the debate over slavery back then, and today's debates over issues like abortion and gay marriage, among others.) Certainly, we as humans have an innate desire to cease what is wrong in the world and change it for good. Yet I am convinced the power that comes from having faith in God takes us higher than we can muster in our own strength, because God powerfully changes lives. And ultimately, He will be victorious over all evil at the end of the age, which is something that drove Dr. King in his nonviolent protests. Even Rosa Parks, a woman I greatly admire, was a dedicated Christian, whose values drove her in her efforts in the Civil Rights movement, as I found out in World magazine piece published shortly after her passing.
So just like Dr. King and William Wilberforce, and all other crusaders, I go forth in this faith to make an impact in the world as I live for my God.
Friday, August 30, 2013
Face the Government...Officials, that is
Within the course of a week, I had some opportunities for face-to-face interactions with government officials.
On Thursday, August 22, I attended a town hall meeting with Danny Davis. He is the U.S. House Representative of the Illinois 7th Congressional District, which covers an area stretching from downtown Chicago through the West Side of Chicago and into some of the Near West Suburbs, including Oak Park. He was holding a few town halls in various suburbs this month. Being unable to attend the town hall in Oak Park, I went to the one held at Berwyn City Hall.
I went mostly to have the opportunity to see Congressman Davis, and hear what issues other people had to mention. Unfortunately, I felt that Mr. Davis didn't use his time efficiently, especially because he let Charles W. Watkins, a man involved in the implementation of a healthcare exchange in Illinois under the Affordable Care Act, take a good deal of time to explain the implementation. When I attended Peter Visclosky's town hall forums while a student at Valparaiso University, in Indiana's 1st Congressional District, which covers much of the northwest part of the state, he used his time more efficiently to cover lots more questions, doing so within an hour's time. This town hall with Danny Davis lasted two hours, and he didn't field nearly as many questions. But he has an interesting style of talking, in which he inserts lots of little stories and anecdotes.
A couple days later, at the weekly Saturday Oak Park Farmers' Market, members of the Oak Park Village Board of Trustees had a booth at the market, taking time to meet with people. When I stopped by, I chatted very congenially with trustee Glenn Brewer and Board President Anan Abu-Taleb.
Then, on Wednesday evening, I went to the Oak Park Public Library for a community forum hosted by Mr. Anan Abu-Taleb and trustee Bob Tucker. They held it as an opportunity for residents to share what's on their minds about happenings in the village. A lot of issues were covered, including developments in commercial areas, the forestry department, bikers, and implications of the conceal-carry law. Someone even wondered out loud about the merits of red-light and speed cameras in Oak Park. The moderator, Julie Samuels, noted that there was potential for the start of many good conversations based on what people had to say.
(You can read a news article about this forum here: http://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/8-29-2013/Lively-crowd-turns-out-for-town-hall-forum-/)
After the forum ended, I spoke briefly with LaShawn K. Ford, the Illinois State Representative for the 8th Illinois House District, which covers the southern part of Oak Park where I live.
These experiences demonstrate to me why America is great. Our government is based on the people's involvement. So whenever any government official comes to a public setting to meet with the people, I take advantage of such opportunities, as much as I can. I feel it is important for all Americans to be engaged with their government officials, because this is part of the process of governing themselves through elected officials. Even if there are disagreements--as I do not agree with many of Danny Davis's liberal view points, and LaShawn Ford's, for that matter--it's still important to engage in those conversations, in a civil manner, of course, because that ultimately leds to meaningful action to make America a better place, from the local level up to the federal level.
On Thursday, August 22, I attended a town hall meeting with Danny Davis. He is the U.S. House Representative of the Illinois 7th Congressional District, which covers an area stretching from downtown Chicago through the West Side of Chicago and into some of the Near West Suburbs, including Oak Park. He was holding a few town halls in various suburbs this month. Being unable to attend the town hall in Oak Park, I went to the one held at Berwyn City Hall.
I went mostly to have the opportunity to see Congressman Davis, and hear what issues other people had to mention. Unfortunately, I felt that Mr. Davis didn't use his time efficiently, especially because he let Charles W. Watkins, a man involved in the implementation of a healthcare exchange in Illinois under the Affordable Care Act, take a good deal of time to explain the implementation. When I attended Peter Visclosky's town hall forums while a student at Valparaiso University, in Indiana's 1st Congressional District, which covers much of the northwest part of the state, he used his time more efficiently to cover lots more questions, doing so within an hour's time. This town hall with Danny Davis lasted two hours, and he didn't field nearly as many questions. But he has an interesting style of talking, in which he inserts lots of little stories and anecdotes.
A couple days later, at the weekly Saturday Oak Park Farmers' Market, members of the Oak Park Village Board of Trustees had a booth at the market, taking time to meet with people. When I stopped by, I chatted very congenially with trustee Glenn Brewer and Board President Anan Abu-Taleb.
Then, on Wednesday evening, I went to the Oak Park Public Library for a community forum hosted by Mr. Anan Abu-Taleb and trustee Bob Tucker. They held it as an opportunity for residents to share what's on their minds about happenings in the village. A lot of issues were covered, including developments in commercial areas, the forestry department, bikers, and implications of the conceal-carry law. Someone even wondered out loud about the merits of red-light and speed cameras in Oak Park. The moderator, Julie Samuels, noted that there was potential for the start of many good conversations based on what people had to say.
(You can read a news article about this forum here: http://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/8-29-2013/Lively-crowd-turns-out-for-town-hall-forum-/)
After the forum ended, I spoke briefly with LaShawn K. Ford, the Illinois State Representative for the 8th Illinois House District, which covers the southern part of Oak Park where I live.
These experiences demonstrate to me why America is great. Our government is based on the people's involvement. So whenever any government official comes to a public setting to meet with the people, I take advantage of such opportunities, as much as I can. I feel it is important for all Americans to be engaged with their government officials, because this is part of the process of governing themselves through elected officials. Even if there are disagreements--as I do not agree with many of Danny Davis's liberal view points, and LaShawn Ford's, for that matter--it's still important to engage in those conversations, in a civil manner, of course, because that ultimately leds to meaningful action to make America a better place, from the local level up to the federal level.
Sunday, August 25, 2013
College Musings and Memories
Four years ago this day, I started my college
classes at Valparaiso University, having moved in three days before. I went
there to get an education, and got out of an extraordinary experience.
There's a lot I could say about my ValpU experience, and at some point I am going to write an extensive composition reflecting on much of it. To mark four years since the day I started out there, I'm going to offer a summary of highlights from my college days. I do so keeping in mind a model George W. Bush laid out in his memoir, Decision Points. As Mr. Bush discusses in the introductory material of the book, he doesn't make a point to cover everything that happened during his Presidency. Instead, he focuses on important decisions that he made during his time in office, and even in doing that, he covers quite a lot of ground in regards to autobiographical material.
So here is what stands out from my days at ValpU, grouped in categories:
1. The Spiritual Life
My faith flourished during these four years, especially when I first arrived. It was so meaningful for me to attend weekday services at the Chapel of the Resurrection, as it gave me a chance to pause in the midst of my day and renew my awareness of God's presence.
Then there is St. Teresa of Avila. To say it left an indelible impression on me is an understatement. This community did so much to reveal the goodness of God, and urged me on in my faith throughout my time on campus. And then it gave me the opportunity to live out that faith during the mission/service trip I went on to St. Augustine Mission in Nebraska. In some ways, that trip functions like a microcosm of my whole college experience. It also offered me some powerful new perspectives on the human experience.
There were other faith-based groups I got involved with, and I got to know other Christians as well. The variety of denominations I was exposed to gave me a different sense of what the Church is.
2. Academics
I enjoyed meteorology enough to choose it as my major, and I grew to enjoy it even more as I gained a deeper understanding about what goes on in the atmosphere, especially during atmospheric dynamics junior year. The storm chase trip I went on was a great opportunity to see it all come alive in the meteorologists' laboratory: the great open sky.
I also continued building my Spanish skills that I had acquired over the course of instruction I had been receiving in that language since Kindergartern, albeit some of it informal. In pursuing a Spanish minor, I was in classes with a variety of interesting topics. The class on Spain is one that definitely stands out.
While I didn't at first set my sights on including it in my academic course of study, I came to really embrace my Christ College experience as an important aspect of my overall academic life. The classes allowed me to probe topics in the humanities, and offered me some really interesting perspectives, especially Word and Image, as well as the historic texts we read in the freshmen program.
3. Events and Activities beyond the Classroom
There were always lots of interesting events happening on the campus. I enjoyed attending concerts and plays. I liked participating in commmunications, like WVUR and the Torch. My reporting job definitely enhanced my experience as it allowed me to get to know various parts of campus that I otherwise wouldn't interact with much.
There were other clubs I enjoyed being part of, like Spanish club tertulias, and even Spanish event dinners. Even St. Teresa's had a lot of interesting events held that attended with other students and community members.
4. Relationships
I started some really deep friendships throughout the four years. And I got to know lots of other great people as well, bonding with them in close ways like I never had before.
I also really engaged well with the professors. The nature of the university allowed me to easily go to their offices to seek help or just to chat. They were there to support me in being successful academically, and that urged me on to do well in my studies.
Then there were other campus employees I got to know well, like the dining services staff, and the housekeepers in the residence halls. We were always glad to run into each other.
5. The campus
Valparaiso University has a really nice campus, and most places I went on a frequent basis were within easy walking distance. Many of the buildings have an exciting feel to them. I especially liked going into the library, whether it be to do classwork or to unwind on a Friday night. The Chapel is undoubtedly a spectacular building. And the weather center, in a very new building, was a great place to hang out with fellow meteorology majors, especially in the midst of momentous weather events, like the February 2011 blizzard and Sandy. I also liked every opportunity I had to go into the spanking new Arts and Sciences Building, which was up my junior year.
It was that campus that served as the vessel for my collegiate happenings. Everything that happened to me there changed me as a person, building upon the defined character I had brought to campus as a freshman four years ago. What I went through offered me new, and often times, profound perspectives on humanity and faith. And I think that is why my ValpU experience had such an impact upon me.
There's a lot I could say about my ValpU experience, and at some point I am going to write an extensive composition reflecting on much of it. To mark four years since the day I started out there, I'm going to offer a summary of highlights from my college days. I do so keeping in mind a model George W. Bush laid out in his memoir, Decision Points. As Mr. Bush discusses in the introductory material of the book, he doesn't make a point to cover everything that happened during his Presidency. Instead, he focuses on important decisions that he made during his time in office, and even in doing that, he covers quite a lot of ground in regards to autobiographical material.
So here is what stands out from my days at ValpU, grouped in categories:
1. The Spiritual Life
My faith flourished during these four years, especially when I first arrived. It was so meaningful for me to attend weekday services at the Chapel of the Resurrection, as it gave me a chance to pause in the midst of my day and renew my awareness of God's presence.
Then there is St. Teresa of Avila. To say it left an indelible impression on me is an understatement. This community did so much to reveal the goodness of God, and urged me on in my faith throughout my time on campus. And then it gave me the opportunity to live out that faith during the mission/service trip I went on to St. Augustine Mission in Nebraska. In some ways, that trip functions like a microcosm of my whole college experience. It also offered me some powerful new perspectives on the human experience.
There were other faith-based groups I got involved with, and I got to know other Christians as well. The variety of denominations I was exposed to gave me a different sense of what the Church is.
2. Academics
I enjoyed meteorology enough to choose it as my major, and I grew to enjoy it even more as I gained a deeper understanding about what goes on in the atmosphere, especially during atmospheric dynamics junior year. The storm chase trip I went on was a great opportunity to see it all come alive in the meteorologists' laboratory: the great open sky.
I also continued building my Spanish skills that I had acquired over the course of instruction I had been receiving in that language since Kindergartern, albeit some of it informal. In pursuing a Spanish minor, I was in classes with a variety of interesting topics. The class on Spain is one that definitely stands out.
While I didn't at first set my sights on including it in my academic course of study, I came to really embrace my Christ College experience as an important aspect of my overall academic life. The classes allowed me to probe topics in the humanities, and offered me some really interesting perspectives, especially Word and Image, as well as the historic texts we read in the freshmen program.
3. Events and Activities beyond the Classroom
There were always lots of interesting events happening on the campus. I enjoyed attending concerts and plays. I liked participating in commmunications, like WVUR and the Torch. My reporting job definitely enhanced my experience as it allowed me to get to know various parts of campus that I otherwise wouldn't interact with much.
There were other clubs I enjoyed being part of, like Spanish club tertulias, and even Spanish event dinners. Even St. Teresa's had a lot of interesting events held that attended with other students and community members.
4. Relationships
I started some really deep friendships throughout the four years. And I got to know lots of other great people as well, bonding with them in close ways like I never had before.
I also really engaged well with the professors. The nature of the university allowed me to easily go to their offices to seek help or just to chat. They were there to support me in being successful academically, and that urged me on to do well in my studies.
Then there were other campus employees I got to know well, like the dining services staff, and the housekeepers in the residence halls. We were always glad to run into each other.
5. The campus
Valparaiso University has a really nice campus, and most places I went on a frequent basis were within easy walking distance. Many of the buildings have an exciting feel to them. I especially liked going into the library, whether it be to do classwork or to unwind on a Friday night. The Chapel is undoubtedly a spectacular building. And the weather center, in a very new building, was a great place to hang out with fellow meteorology majors, especially in the midst of momentous weather events, like the February 2011 blizzard and Sandy. I also liked every opportunity I had to go into the spanking new Arts and Sciences Building, which was up my junior year.
It was that campus that served as the vessel for my collegiate happenings. Everything that happened to me there changed me as a person, building upon the defined character I had brought to campus as a freshman four years ago. What I went through offered me new, and often times, profound perspectives on humanity and faith. And I think that is why my ValpU experience had such an impact upon me.
Friday, August 23, 2013
Visit to a Vice President's Property
Did you know that a man from Chicagoland became vice president of the United States?
I learned within the past couple of years ago or so that Charles Gates Dawes was a resident of Evanston when he went to be Vice President in the Coolidge administration, serving from 1925-1929. I thought it was so cool when I found that out.
(Here's a painting of Mr. Dawes in the main hall area of his home.)
Even more interesting for me is that he once came to Oak Park. On Armistice Day, November 11, 1925, Oak Park dedicated a monument in Scoville Park to those who served in World War I, and Vice President Dawes attended the dedication. It made sense that he would show up to that event since he was a local area resident.
I looked into Mr. Dawes a little more to see if there were any historical sites related to him in the area. I found out that his home is open to the public and currently houses the Evanston History Center. I became very fascinated by the idea of visiting his home. (At least, that's how I think I found about the Dawes House and how I explained it to the man I met when I entered who asked.)
And so this day, I finally went to visit the home.
I got myself over to the Loop, and then up on the Red Line all the way to the station at Howard Street, which up until this time, I had regarded solely as an intangible fixture point, but never a physical place. From there, I boarded a Purple Line train for the first time and rode it into Evanston. (At the end of my time, I got back on the Purple Line, which, in the midst of rush hour, had an express run all the way to the Loop. There was nothing like an express run from Howard Street to Belmont Avenue in just 15 minutes. I wasn't paying enough attention on my ride up on the Red Line as to how long it took that way.)
After disembarking at the Dempster Street Station, I took a nice walk, through neighborhoods with some lovely homes, to the Lakefront area where the Dawes House is located. The splendid homes I saw reminded me of homes I've seen in northern Oak Park and especially River Forest. And I have to say that Evanston has a very privileged spot, bordering Chicago and having a shoreline on Lake Michigan. While waiting for the tour to start, I walked along the lakefront.
The home was spectacularly opulent. It was originally built by the Reverend Shepherd, who was an administrator at Northwestern University. After he got into troubles over financial irregularities, his home passed on to Charles Dawes, who purchased it, in 1909, for $75000. Mr. Dawes came to Illinois when his good friend William McKinley asked for his help in his presidential campaign efforts in Illinois.
I learned quite a number of details about his interesting life story. Charles Dawes grew up in Ohio, attended college and law school there, and then lived in Lincoln, NE, involved in some work with the military, where he got to know General John Pershing, who became a lifelong friend. Mr. Dawes ran for the US Senate after moving to Illinois, confident of victory because of backing from his friend President McKinley, but lost his sure backing when the President was assasination, lost. Devastated by defeat, he decided to leave politics.
Later, at age 52, he served as an officer in World War I, adamant about wanting to be with the troops and not just have a desk job. (Even more reason that he would show up at the Oak Park monument's dedication.) After the war's end, when most people blamed Germany for the terrible war, he composed a plan to help Germany recover, the Dawes Plan, for which he received the Noble Peace Prize in 1924.
One of the great tour guides there kept telling me all these stories about charitable things Mr. Dawes did. He established an agency that helped place newborn babies with families that could care for them, started a place for homeless and unemployed men to live in Chicago, and every year for Nativity Day time personally went to Chicago to deliver food to the needy. He abided by high ideals, and followed through with actions that did a lot of good for society and his fellow people. He did all this without expecting anything in return--something hard to come by in politicians today, like those who acquire elk heads through misuse of campaign funds, unlike Mr. Dawes who acquired stuffed animal heads from friends who liked to hunt more than he did.
There were a lot of notable features in the house that the tour guides pointed out, like the sliding doors, the wood used in the house, the round table in the dining room, the French Parlor used for meetings Mrs. Dawes held for a French club, and Tiffany lamps. The library still has his favorite red chair, which he would sit in when he watched wrestling on TV.
The tour guides did a good job going talking about the home and its history, and Mr. Dawes. What was especially nice for me was that I was the only one there for a tour, so it was like my own personal tour of this home, and that gave one of the tour guides the liberty to share all these amazing stories. After the tour ended, I looked around upstairs at the exhibits in what were once bedrooms. They focused on the history of Evanston, and then some. Evanston is a neat place, there at the gateway to the North Shore suburbs, and certain aspects of its history and present circumstances resemble that of Oak Park.
So it was good time I had in Evanston, learning so much about the incredible Mr. Dawes and his beautiful home by Lake Michigan.
I learned within the past couple of years ago or so that Charles Gates Dawes was a resident of Evanston when he went to be Vice President in the Coolidge administration, serving from 1925-1929. I thought it was so cool when I found that out.
Even more interesting for me is that he once came to Oak Park. On Armistice Day, November 11, 1925, Oak Park dedicated a monument in Scoville Park to those who served in World War I, and Vice President Dawes attended the dedication. It made sense that he would show up to that event since he was a local area resident.
I looked into Mr. Dawes a little more to see if there were any historical sites related to him in the area. I found out that his home is open to the public and currently houses the Evanston History Center. I became very fascinated by the idea of visiting his home. (At least, that's how I think I found about the Dawes House and how I explained it to the man I met when I entered who asked.)
And so this day, I finally went to visit the home.
I got myself over to the Loop, and then up on the Red Line all the way to the station at Howard Street, which up until this time, I had regarded solely as an intangible fixture point, but never a physical place. From there, I boarded a Purple Line train for the first time and rode it into Evanston. (At the end of my time, I got back on the Purple Line, which, in the midst of rush hour, had an express run all the way to the Loop. There was nothing like an express run from Howard Street to Belmont Avenue in just 15 minutes. I wasn't paying enough attention on my ride up on the Red Line as to how long it took that way.)
After disembarking at the Dempster Street Station, I took a nice walk, through neighborhoods with some lovely homes, to the Lakefront area where the Dawes House is located. The splendid homes I saw reminded me of homes I've seen in northern Oak Park and especially River Forest. And I have to say that Evanston has a very privileged spot, bordering Chicago and having a shoreline on Lake Michigan. While waiting for the tour to start, I walked along the lakefront.
The home was spectacularly opulent. It was originally built by the Reverend Shepherd, who was an administrator at Northwestern University. After he got into troubles over financial irregularities, his home passed on to Charles Dawes, who purchased it, in 1909, for $75000. Mr. Dawes came to Illinois when his good friend William McKinley asked for his help in his presidential campaign efforts in Illinois.
I learned quite a number of details about his interesting life story. Charles Dawes grew up in Ohio, attended college and law school there, and then lived in Lincoln, NE, involved in some work with the military, where he got to know General John Pershing, who became a lifelong friend. Mr. Dawes ran for the US Senate after moving to Illinois, confident of victory because of backing from his friend President McKinley, but lost his sure backing when the President was assasination, lost. Devastated by defeat, he decided to leave politics.
Later, at age 52, he served as an officer in World War I, adamant about wanting to be with the troops and not just have a desk job. (Even more reason that he would show up at the Oak Park monument's dedication.) After the war's end, when most people blamed Germany for the terrible war, he composed a plan to help Germany recover, the Dawes Plan, for which he received the Noble Peace Prize in 1924.
One of the great tour guides there kept telling me all these stories about charitable things Mr. Dawes did. He established an agency that helped place newborn babies with families that could care for them, started a place for homeless and unemployed men to live in Chicago, and every year for Nativity Day time personally went to Chicago to deliver food to the needy. He abided by high ideals, and followed through with actions that did a lot of good for society and his fellow people. He did all this without expecting anything in return--something hard to come by in politicians today, like those who acquire elk heads through misuse of campaign funds, unlike Mr. Dawes who acquired stuffed animal heads from friends who liked to hunt more than he did.
There were a lot of notable features in the house that the tour guides pointed out, like the sliding doors, the wood used in the house, the round table in the dining room, the French Parlor used for meetings Mrs. Dawes held for a French club, and Tiffany lamps. The library still has his favorite red chair, which he would sit in when he watched wrestling on TV.
The tour guides did a good job going talking about the home and its history, and Mr. Dawes. What was especially nice for me was that I was the only one there for a tour, so it was like my own personal tour of this home, and that gave one of the tour guides the liberty to share all these amazing stories. After the tour ended, I looked around upstairs at the exhibits in what were once bedrooms. They focused on the history of Evanston, and then some. Evanston is a neat place, there at the gateway to the North Shore suburbs, and certain aspects of its history and present circumstances resemble that of Oak Park.
So it was good time I had in Evanston, learning so much about the incredible Mr. Dawes and his beautiful home by Lake Michigan.
Live on WTTW
After years of watching WTTW Channel 11, Chicago PBS, I had the great opportunity to be on WTTW, on live primetime television.
This month, WTTW held one of its quarterly pledge drives. Looking for volunteer opportunities during the summer, I looked for information on participating in this drive, and then got myself signed up.
And so this past Monday, August 19, I drove to the WTTW studios at 5400 N. St. Louis Avenue, craddled in a spot surrounded by Northeastern Illinois University on Chicago's North Side. It amazes me to think that one of Chicago's most important institutions is nestled in this mostly residential area of the city, just about a mile and a half east of where my Abuela lives. I could barely cough in the amount of time it takes to get there from her house.
After arriving and waiting in the lobby for a few minutes, we went to the cafeteria for dinner. The station gets a Chicago restaurant to provide a good meal for the pledge volunteers. La Gondola provided four trays of different types of pasta dishes. After having dinner and socializing with some of the other people, a wonderfully bright woman named Suzanne led us to the Pledge studio. We all got seated (there were about three dozen of us volunteers), and then Suzanne led us through training in how to work the system to record donor information and select their gifts.
The first program shown that evening was Father Jerzy Popiełuszko: Messenger of the Truth, about a Polish priest, who led a nonviolent resistance movement in Communist Poland in the late 20th Century. For the occasion, people from the Polish Museum of American and the Polish National Alliance came out. So there were plenty of Polish speakers on hand for Polish callers. I saw glimpses of the images on TV screens in the studio, and I could tell that it was a moving, inspirational story. It was meaningful for me to be in the presence of so many people for whom this story holds a lot of meaning.
Shortly before 8 PM, we went on live TV for the first pledge break. When the pledge break started, the people in the studio started talking, with all the volunteers remaining silent as it took a few minutes for the phones to start ringing right and left. I was sitting at a table near Gene Honda talking with the producer of the program. (Mr. Honda, by the way, is the public announcer for the Chicago Blackhawks, and I sat with him briefly at dinner.) It may have been at least 5 minutes before my phone rung. I pressed the headset button on the phone, and started with my spiel to get the callers' information and gift order processed, for DVDs of the program and books related to Father Jerzy. I probably took at least two calls during each pledge break.
When I finished with the last caller, the Pledge Break was well over, and I had barely 5 minutes before we all had to be in the studio and ready for the next break. And then the calls started up again.
After a couple of pledge breaks or so, a staffperson decided to move me to a different spot, saying they wanted a young person in an area that was facing the cameras. I had started out sitting in a spot with my back to the cameras.
At about 10 PM, the Father Jerzy program ended, and the next program started up: a concert with Hugh Laurie on the Queen Mary. At this point, while I was up stretching my legs, a man came up to me and asked that I hand out prayer cards with Father Jerzy's image on it, with sets in English and Polish. I found out later that one of the cards had a small space with a drop of Father Jerzy's blood in it, which will become of great importance as he is on the track to being canonized.
There were fewer callers during the Hugh Laurie concert, as it was later in the evening. I sat through an entire pledge break without getting a call, and decided to leave the system on my computer on available mode to see if I would catch anyone, which ended up happening. A few seconds into my call, one of the staff people announced there was ice cream available from the Edgebrook Chocolate Shoppe. I stayed with the caller in selecting the gift, and once I finished, I dashed off to the cafeteria to have the scoop of ice cream, managing to finish it within 3 minutes before it was time for the last pledge break. And once that break was done, our night was finished.
It was such an exhilarating experience to be part of this effort. I thoroughly enjoy PBS programming, having watched it for years, and coming across these pledge drives whenever they come up. It was so interesting to be in the studio this time around, being part of the action, being the voice that the callers to the number on the screen encountered. It kept me on my toes, keeping focused on hearing the caller give me his/her information in the midst of all the noise in the studio. I handled calls from all over Chicago and its suburbs, including Park Ridge, Inverness, Oak Lawn, and Wilmette. One man who called said he had lived in Poland during this time period and deeply expressed his appreciation for WTTW showing this program.
It was also a thrill to be on live television. But the best part of it all was that I was able to donate my time to a great Chicago institution in its efforts to bring quality public television programming to the people of Chicagoland.
In the spirit of the Black-Eyed Peas song, it was indeed a good, good night. At the end of the night, all the volunteers got to pick out a thank you-gift. I picked out a button that spoke well to my special experience: "I was a star on Channel 11."
I thank Suzanne for getting this picture of me. I apologize, but it was staged, since there was too much activity going on for such a picture to be taken while the pledge breaks were going. But it does capture the spirit of my experience on this night.
This month, WTTW held one of its quarterly pledge drives. Looking for volunteer opportunities during the summer, I looked for information on participating in this drive, and then got myself signed up.
And so this past Monday, August 19, I drove to the WTTW studios at 5400 N. St. Louis Avenue, craddled in a spot surrounded by Northeastern Illinois University on Chicago's North Side. It amazes me to think that one of Chicago's most important institutions is nestled in this mostly residential area of the city, just about a mile and a half east of where my Abuela lives. I could barely cough in the amount of time it takes to get there from her house.
After arriving and waiting in the lobby for a few minutes, we went to the cafeteria for dinner. The station gets a Chicago restaurant to provide a good meal for the pledge volunteers. La Gondola provided four trays of different types of pasta dishes. After having dinner and socializing with some of the other people, a wonderfully bright woman named Suzanne led us to the Pledge studio. We all got seated (there were about three dozen of us volunteers), and then Suzanne led us through training in how to work the system to record donor information and select their gifts.
The first program shown that evening was Father Jerzy Popiełuszko: Messenger of the Truth, about a Polish priest, who led a nonviolent resistance movement in Communist Poland in the late 20th Century. For the occasion, people from the Polish Museum of American and the Polish National Alliance came out. So there were plenty of Polish speakers on hand for Polish callers. I saw glimpses of the images on TV screens in the studio, and I could tell that it was a moving, inspirational story. It was meaningful for me to be in the presence of so many people for whom this story holds a lot of meaning.
Shortly before 8 PM, we went on live TV for the first pledge break. When the pledge break started, the people in the studio started talking, with all the volunteers remaining silent as it took a few minutes for the phones to start ringing right and left. I was sitting at a table near Gene Honda talking with the producer of the program. (Mr. Honda, by the way, is the public announcer for the Chicago Blackhawks, and I sat with him briefly at dinner.) It may have been at least 5 minutes before my phone rung. I pressed the headset button on the phone, and started with my spiel to get the callers' information and gift order processed, for DVDs of the program and books related to Father Jerzy. I probably took at least two calls during each pledge break.
When I finished with the last caller, the Pledge Break was well over, and I had barely 5 minutes before we all had to be in the studio and ready for the next break. And then the calls started up again.
After a couple of pledge breaks or so, a staffperson decided to move me to a different spot, saying they wanted a young person in an area that was facing the cameras. I had started out sitting in a spot with my back to the cameras.
At about 10 PM, the Father Jerzy program ended, and the next program started up: a concert with Hugh Laurie on the Queen Mary. At this point, while I was up stretching my legs, a man came up to me and asked that I hand out prayer cards with Father Jerzy's image on it, with sets in English and Polish. I found out later that one of the cards had a small space with a drop of Father Jerzy's blood in it, which will become of great importance as he is on the track to being canonized.
There were fewer callers during the Hugh Laurie concert, as it was later in the evening. I sat through an entire pledge break without getting a call, and decided to leave the system on my computer on available mode to see if I would catch anyone, which ended up happening. A few seconds into my call, one of the staff people announced there was ice cream available from the Edgebrook Chocolate Shoppe. I stayed with the caller in selecting the gift, and once I finished, I dashed off to the cafeteria to have the scoop of ice cream, managing to finish it within 3 minutes before it was time for the last pledge break. And once that break was done, our night was finished.
It was such an exhilarating experience to be part of this effort. I thoroughly enjoy PBS programming, having watched it for years, and coming across these pledge drives whenever they come up. It was so interesting to be in the studio this time around, being part of the action, being the voice that the callers to the number on the screen encountered. It kept me on my toes, keeping focused on hearing the caller give me his/her information in the midst of all the noise in the studio. I handled calls from all over Chicago and its suburbs, including Park Ridge, Inverness, Oak Lawn, and Wilmette. One man who called said he had lived in Poland during this time period and deeply expressed his appreciation for WTTW showing this program.
It was also a thrill to be on live television. But the best part of it all was that I was able to donate my time to a great Chicago institution in its efforts to bring quality public television programming to the people of Chicagoland.
In the spirit of the Black-Eyed Peas song, it was indeed a good, good night. At the end of the night, all the volunteers got to pick out a thank you-gift. I picked out a button that spoke well to my special experience: "I was a star on Channel 11."
I thank Suzanne for getting this picture of me. I apologize, but it was staged, since there was too much activity going on for such a picture to be taken while the pledge breaks were going. But it does capture the spirit of my experience on this night.
Monday, August 19, 2013
Ode to Oak Park
After having gotten to know Dan and Ann Ruggaber so well over the course of my four years at Valparaiso University, spending week after week with them at Mass, going out and about with them, and even sharing time in their home, I had the pleasure of welcoming them to my own home and stomping grounds in the Village of Oak Park.
I've had a few friends from Valparaiso come spend time with me in Oak Park, especially in the past couple of years. I consider it a wonderful opportunity to show people I've gotten to know well during the extraordinary ValpU experience the place that did so much to form me as a person.
It also gives me fresh perspective on this place I call home, because as I show people around, it's like I'm looking at familiar spots with different eyes--especially when I'm riding around in someone else's car.
My time with the Ruggabers provided a unique juxtaposition of things I wanted to show them and things they wanted to see. One place they desired especially to see was Frank Lloyd Wright's Home and Studio on Chicago Avenue, which is certainly a big tourist draw in Oak Park.
This all got me thinking: What makes Oak Park special, based on my personal life experiences, and on the perceptions of others? This is an especially good time for me to think about such a question, because at the end of last November, I marked 20 years since my family and I moved to Oak Park. That fact alone speaks to how this place is special for me, as I can say I've lived in one place for so long, even lending it a degree of "sacredness". Indeed, my family home on Clarence Avenue here in Oak Park served as the vessel in which all those typical life experiences one has growing up took place. But these experiences extend beyond the walls of my family house to the other places and institutions in the village.
There's a lot of people, places, and things packed into 20 years+ and 4.5 square miles that speak to how Oak Park is special for me. I could surely write on and on about such things. Here, I write about as many as I can, hoping that to cover the biggest things regarding the highlights of my family house and Oak Park that have made this place so special for me:
I live in a nice home on Clarence Avenue. It's not a huge property, but not tiny--it's in the middle, so to speak. There's a pretty sizable backyard area, which has been changed from a grassy lawn, on which I played as a child, to a landscaped space in recent years. But there's still some grass out in front. All of it makes for nice space to walk around and take in the outdoors within the confines of my own property.
There are three main floors to the house. The main floor has a space where we can gather together, prepare food, eat, relax--especially in the back sunroom that was added on about a decade ago, and makes for a lovely addition to the house. The lower level is the basement, with space for utilities, recreation, and storage. The upper floor has the bedrooms. Owing to the nature of the house and the size of our family, I've had my own bedroom growing up, with my own bed and trappings. There's an attic above the upper floor, but we haven't used it much lately.
We live pretty close to our neighbors on the 1000 block of Clarence Avenue, with all the homes spaced close to each other. It's always nice during that one time of the summer when we block off the street to traffic and go out to have fun and even have dinner together in the middle of the street during a block party. (A bouncehouse is a standard feature of block parties.)
We're even close to people who live on the 1000 South Block of East Avenue, as our respective garages face the same alley, like the couple that rents a parking space next to our garage. We often run into each other as we pull the car out and head out of the alley to go somewhere. That garage makes for some good storage area, too, removed from the house.
My home is in southern Oak Park, in the area between the Interstate 290 and Roosevelt Road, the latter of which marks the southern boundary of the Village with the City of Berwyn. So while I have lived in Oak Park, I have frequented Berwyn and the services in that place.
Oak Park is a Village, its government composed of a village board of trustees, headed by a president, and then there's a village manager. They all meet to do their work at Village Hall at 123 Madison Street.
The Village's first settlers came headed west out of Chicago along an aboriginal route that is now Lake Street. The notable feature geographically speaking is the large ridge running through northern part of the village, which marks the location of a historical continental divide between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River watersheds. (It is historical because the Illinois and Michigan Canal bridged the divide in the 19th century.) There is a modest rise in the land in northern Oak Park. This ridge functioning like a hill, some considered Oak Park to be a holy place, "a city on a hill". And so up went the churches, and out went the alcohol.
There are sidewalks everywhere in Oak Park, which makes walking places very feasible, even those that are a far distance. But biking is pretty feasible, too, and can expedite any journey, especially to places on the other side of the Village, or even far beyond. On a day with warm enough temperatures lacking precipitation, I can enjoy just riding around.
There are a number of places I enjoy frequenting in southern Oak Park. I go over to the Maze Branch of the Oak Park Public Library about 5 times a week. This library is a branch from the main library in the downtown area, and it serves southern Oak Park, the realization of the vision of Mrs. Adele Maze. The Maze Branch Library fostered my enamorment for books and reading, which led to much of the knowledge I've gained in my life.
Maze is on the other side of the I-290. On my side are some facilities of the Park District of Oak Park. The Conservatory is a wonderful place, with lots of nice plants and flower, even some birds, including George, the talking double yellow-headed parrot. He's the reason I show up there every week.
Just to the east is Rehm Park, where I would go for recreation often during my childhood years. Right there is Rehm Pool, which is a good place to cool off on a warm or hot summer day.
Barrie Park is further east, and there's an interesting story there about how the soil had to be decontaminated and then the park reconstructed.
To get something sweet to eat, there's a couple of good locally-owned places: Hole-in-the-Wall, a small storefront at 901 1/2 South Oak Park Avenue, with frozen custard, soft-serve cones, and sundaes. Then there's Gina's, which serves many flavors of Italian ice. It is in Berwyn, but receives much Oak Park traffic.
Just beyond the south end of the alley that my family house's property touches is the place where I started my education in preschool, at Christ Lutheran Learning Center, part of the LCMS Christ Lutheran Church at East and Harvard. The neighborliness of Oak Park is certainly evident in that the preschool's director lives across the alley from us. How notable that the earliest and most advanced parts of my education were at Lutheran institutions.
A little way's east down Harvard Street, straddled between Ridgeland and Cuyler is Washington Irving Elementary School, which I attended from Kindergarten through 5th Grade. It was a good time, with all those moments that come with being an elementary school kid. It's nice to see some green space popping up where there was only blacktop before. (This is where I was as a 5th grader when the events of September 11, 2001 unfolded.)
In 2002, I was a member of the first group of students to make the transition to 6th grade at the middle schools. I went to the school just up Ridgeland Avenue named after the famous African-American chemical scientist Dr. Percy Lavon Julian. His daughter, Faith, still lives in the home where Percy and Anna Julian raised their family, on East and Chicago. It stands as a symbol to triumph over racism, as it had been fire-bombed twice.
Back to Julian Middle School, it was momentous when my fellow 6th graders and I showed up. Everyone in the village wondered how this would work out. A term I heard tossed around often was "guinea pigs". Well, we survived the experiment with flying colors, and it has been continuing successfully to this day.
And I underwent a lot of significant character development during my three years at Julian. I became more exposed to the sense of diversity that the village prides itself in. I had the pleasure of getting to know many Jewish people who lived in areas of the village further north. In 7th grade, I had the honor of attending my good friend's Bar Mitzvah at a temple in Oak Park just north of Harlem and Division. That was an experience like no other.
A little further north from Julian, and to the west, near the geographical center of Oak Park is Oak Park and River Forest High School, the final stage of my schooling in Oak Park. Oak Park has shared a public high school with its neighbor to the west since the 1870's, and has collaborated with River Forest in many ways. (To the west, that is, only north of the train tracks running through the center of the village; to the south of that point along Harlem is Forest Park.)
The area of Oak Park to the north of OPRFHS has many large, beautiful homes. Embedded among them is St. Giles Parish, one of four Roman Catholic parishes in Oak Park. My earliest memories of going to church were in its school's gymnasium, where a group of parishioners held Mass in a more family-friendly environment. This is where I had my First Communion.
I also attended CCD classes for many years with St. Giles Family Mass community, but there were held at Grace Episcopal Church in downtown Oak Park, which rings out its magnificent bells every Sunday morning in grand style. Grace Episcopal is across the street from Calvary Memorial Church, where I attended AWANA classes in elementary school, and later participated in its youth groups, in grades 7-12.
In the present day, I attend Mass at Ascension Parish on the south side of Oak Park, in the Romanesque structure with its large dome and depictions of the Ascension of Christ, as well as other Biblical and religious scenes and figures. (As of late, my home parish has gotten me wondering about what percentage of Roman Catholic parishes are not named for saints.) This is the Church where I had my Confirmation, another significant moment of character formation in my life. What's so nice is the short walk to Ascension from home.
Oak Park sits in the shadow of Chicago, being bordered by the city on its north and east sides. There are a number of major transportation corridors that head directly to downtown Chicago (about 7 miles away) and out to other places in the suburbs: As mentioned before, there's the I-290, which, in very good traffic, can allow us to get to downtown Chicago in a matter of 5 minutes; Schaumburg and Woodfield Mall are at its other terminus. Traveling along the I-290 is the CTA Blue Line, which I ride frequently to access the Loop and beyond in Chicago. Other commuters ride the Green Line along the Lake Street Corridor, whose terminus is just south of Harlem and Lake (once rumored to be the target of a Soviet bomb). There's Metra's Union Pacific West Line, too, which goes out to Geneva, and whose Oak Park station is in the downtown area. There are other major streets, too, that lead into Chicago: Roosevelt Road, Jackson Boulevard, Madison Street, Lake Street, Chicago Avenue, Division Street, and North Avenue. Many of these corridors provide a clear view in the direction of downtown, and one can easily see the majestic Sears Tower rising high.
Indeed, Oak Park is in the shadow of Chicago, and often times, people lump its existence into a comglomerate blob known simply as "Chicago". But I feel that while Oak Park's existence can't be defined without Chicago, I don't feel Chicago can be defined without Oak Park and all the other neighborhoods and suburbs that make up the elaborate quilt of Chicagoland.
Oak Park certainly contributes a very special piece to that fabric. Some notable people and things have connections to Oak Park: Dan Castelleneta (the voice of Homer Simpson, who grew up not far from where my Great Aunt lives), Percy Julian, Ray Kroc (who grew up in on Home Avenue just to the west of me), Ernest Hemingway (born and raised here before going off on his life's adventures), Frank Lloyd Wright (whose home and many other examples of his work are here), Edgar Rice Burroughs (who wrote the original Tarzan books here), Kool-Aid's inventor lived here, as did the creator of the Twinkie. Today, we have the pleasure of counting among our residents author Harriette Gillem Robinet, who writes historical fiction stories from American history with African-Americans as protagonists. (Some might claim that Papa was born in Cicero, to the southeast, of which Oak Park was a part before it became an independent township, just a few years after his birth.) And then there's Fenwick High School, a Dominican college preparatory school, which includes among its alumni, Pat Quinn, current Governor of Illinois, who owns a home just to the north of Oak Park the Chicago city neighborhood of Galewood.
Architecture is a big draw for tourists to Oak Park, with the many fines homes and buildings. They also come to the many business districts, with their shops and restaurants--and not just in downtown and the Avenue, but also in other areas, like the Arts District on Harrison Street.
There are issues with crime in Oak Park, some of it related to the neighboring Austin neighbor in Chicago. But generally, I haven't been very affected by it, and consider it a safe place to live, as would many. I feel comfortable going out and about.
We have a great sense of community here, as fostered by such things as the Farmers' Market, held in Pilgrim Congregational Church's parking lot on Saturdays from late May to late October. There's also the Wednesday Journal newspaper, which my brother and I used to deliver on East Avenue between I-290 and Roosevelt, before all carrier routes were outsourced to the USPS.
We have a great community here, and I've enjoyed growing up here. Even though its prevailing political ideology doesn't agree with mine, that really hasn't been enough to make me eager to leave. I don't really have any objections to living here with more than 50000 other people. There's been so much in this place that has allowed me to have an enjoyable childhood and be raised well.
So yes, it has been a great 20 years in Oak Park. May God Bless Oak Park. And may He bless my home, just as in the words of this song, which I first heard at George W. Bush's second inauguration: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fb9WllWHcgM
I've had a few friends from Valparaiso come spend time with me in Oak Park, especially in the past couple of years. I consider it a wonderful opportunity to show people I've gotten to know well during the extraordinary ValpU experience the place that did so much to form me as a person.
It also gives me fresh perspective on this place I call home, because as I show people around, it's like I'm looking at familiar spots with different eyes--especially when I'm riding around in someone else's car.
My time with the Ruggabers provided a unique juxtaposition of things I wanted to show them and things they wanted to see. One place they desired especially to see was Frank Lloyd Wright's Home and Studio on Chicago Avenue, which is certainly a big tourist draw in Oak Park.
This all got me thinking: What makes Oak Park special, based on my personal life experiences, and on the perceptions of others? This is an especially good time for me to think about such a question, because at the end of last November, I marked 20 years since my family and I moved to Oak Park. That fact alone speaks to how this place is special for me, as I can say I've lived in one place for so long, even lending it a degree of "sacredness". Indeed, my family home on Clarence Avenue here in Oak Park served as the vessel in which all those typical life experiences one has growing up took place. But these experiences extend beyond the walls of my family house to the other places and institutions in the village.
There's a lot of people, places, and things packed into 20 years+ and 4.5 square miles that speak to how Oak Park is special for me. I could surely write on and on about such things. Here, I write about as many as I can, hoping that to cover the biggest things regarding the highlights of my family house and Oak Park that have made this place so special for me:
I live in a nice home on Clarence Avenue. It's not a huge property, but not tiny--it's in the middle, so to speak. There's a pretty sizable backyard area, which has been changed from a grassy lawn, on which I played as a child, to a landscaped space in recent years. But there's still some grass out in front. All of it makes for nice space to walk around and take in the outdoors within the confines of my own property.
There are three main floors to the house. The main floor has a space where we can gather together, prepare food, eat, relax--especially in the back sunroom that was added on about a decade ago, and makes for a lovely addition to the house. The lower level is the basement, with space for utilities, recreation, and storage. The upper floor has the bedrooms. Owing to the nature of the house and the size of our family, I've had my own bedroom growing up, with my own bed and trappings. There's an attic above the upper floor, but we haven't used it much lately.
We live pretty close to our neighbors on the 1000 block of Clarence Avenue, with all the homes spaced close to each other. It's always nice during that one time of the summer when we block off the street to traffic and go out to have fun and even have dinner together in the middle of the street during a block party. (A bouncehouse is a standard feature of block parties.)
We're even close to people who live on the 1000 South Block of East Avenue, as our respective garages face the same alley, like the couple that rents a parking space next to our garage. We often run into each other as we pull the car out and head out of the alley to go somewhere. That garage makes for some good storage area, too, removed from the house.
My home is in southern Oak Park, in the area between the Interstate 290 and Roosevelt Road, the latter of which marks the southern boundary of the Village with the City of Berwyn. So while I have lived in Oak Park, I have frequented Berwyn and the services in that place.
Oak Park is a Village, its government composed of a village board of trustees, headed by a president, and then there's a village manager. They all meet to do their work at Village Hall at 123 Madison Street.
The Village's first settlers came headed west out of Chicago along an aboriginal route that is now Lake Street. The notable feature geographically speaking is the large ridge running through northern part of the village, which marks the location of a historical continental divide between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River watersheds. (It is historical because the Illinois and Michigan Canal bridged the divide in the 19th century.) There is a modest rise in the land in northern Oak Park. This ridge functioning like a hill, some considered Oak Park to be a holy place, "a city on a hill". And so up went the churches, and out went the alcohol.
There are sidewalks everywhere in Oak Park, which makes walking places very feasible, even those that are a far distance. But biking is pretty feasible, too, and can expedite any journey, especially to places on the other side of the Village, or even far beyond. On a day with warm enough temperatures lacking precipitation, I can enjoy just riding around.
There are a number of places I enjoy frequenting in southern Oak Park. I go over to the Maze Branch of the Oak Park Public Library about 5 times a week. This library is a branch from the main library in the downtown area, and it serves southern Oak Park, the realization of the vision of Mrs. Adele Maze. The Maze Branch Library fostered my enamorment for books and reading, which led to much of the knowledge I've gained in my life.
Maze is on the other side of the I-290. On my side are some facilities of the Park District of Oak Park. The Conservatory is a wonderful place, with lots of nice plants and flower, even some birds, including George, the talking double yellow-headed parrot. He's the reason I show up there every week.
Just to the east is Rehm Park, where I would go for recreation often during my childhood years. Right there is Rehm Pool, which is a good place to cool off on a warm or hot summer day.
Barrie Park is further east, and there's an interesting story there about how the soil had to be decontaminated and then the park reconstructed.
To get something sweet to eat, there's a couple of good locally-owned places: Hole-in-the-Wall, a small storefront at 901 1/2 South Oak Park Avenue, with frozen custard, soft-serve cones, and sundaes. Then there's Gina's, which serves many flavors of Italian ice. It is in Berwyn, but receives much Oak Park traffic.
Just beyond the south end of the alley that my family house's property touches is the place where I started my education in preschool, at Christ Lutheran Learning Center, part of the LCMS Christ Lutheran Church at East and Harvard. The neighborliness of Oak Park is certainly evident in that the preschool's director lives across the alley from us. How notable that the earliest and most advanced parts of my education were at Lutheran institutions.
A little way's east down Harvard Street, straddled between Ridgeland and Cuyler is Washington Irving Elementary School, which I attended from Kindergarten through 5th Grade. It was a good time, with all those moments that come with being an elementary school kid. It's nice to see some green space popping up where there was only blacktop before. (This is where I was as a 5th grader when the events of September 11, 2001 unfolded.)
In 2002, I was a member of the first group of students to make the transition to 6th grade at the middle schools. I went to the school just up Ridgeland Avenue named after the famous African-American chemical scientist Dr. Percy Lavon Julian. His daughter, Faith, still lives in the home where Percy and Anna Julian raised their family, on East and Chicago. It stands as a symbol to triumph over racism, as it had been fire-bombed twice.
Back to Julian Middle School, it was momentous when my fellow 6th graders and I showed up. Everyone in the village wondered how this would work out. A term I heard tossed around often was "guinea pigs". Well, we survived the experiment with flying colors, and it has been continuing successfully to this day.
And I underwent a lot of significant character development during my three years at Julian. I became more exposed to the sense of diversity that the village prides itself in. I had the pleasure of getting to know many Jewish people who lived in areas of the village further north. In 7th grade, I had the honor of attending my good friend's Bar Mitzvah at a temple in Oak Park just north of Harlem and Division. That was an experience like no other.
A little further north from Julian, and to the west, near the geographical center of Oak Park is Oak Park and River Forest High School, the final stage of my schooling in Oak Park. Oak Park has shared a public high school with its neighbor to the west since the 1870's, and has collaborated with River Forest in many ways. (To the west, that is, only north of the train tracks running through the center of the village; to the south of that point along Harlem is Forest Park.)
The area of Oak Park to the north of OPRFHS has many large, beautiful homes. Embedded among them is St. Giles Parish, one of four Roman Catholic parishes in Oak Park. My earliest memories of going to church were in its school's gymnasium, where a group of parishioners held Mass in a more family-friendly environment. This is where I had my First Communion.
I also attended CCD classes for many years with St. Giles Family Mass community, but there were held at Grace Episcopal Church in downtown Oak Park, which rings out its magnificent bells every Sunday morning in grand style. Grace Episcopal is across the street from Calvary Memorial Church, where I attended AWANA classes in elementary school, and later participated in its youth groups, in grades 7-12.
In the present day, I attend Mass at Ascension Parish on the south side of Oak Park, in the Romanesque structure with its large dome and depictions of the Ascension of Christ, as well as other Biblical and religious scenes and figures. (As of late, my home parish has gotten me wondering about what percentage of Roman Catholic parishes are not named for saints.) This is the Church where I had my Confirmation, another significant moment of character formation in my life. What's so nice is the short walk to Ascension from home.
Oak Park sits in the shadow of Chicago, being bordered by the city on its north and east sides. There are a number of major transportation corridors that head directly to downtown Chicago (about 7 miles away) and out to other places in the suburbs: As mentioned before, there's the I-290, which, in very good traffic, can allow us to get to downtown Chicago in a matter of 5 minutes; Schaumburg and Woodfield Mall are at its other terminus. Traveling along the I-290 is the CTA Blue Line, which I ride frequently to access the Loop and beyond in Chicago. Other commuters ride the Green Line along the Lake Street Corridor, whose terminus is just south of Harlem and Lake (once rumored to be the target of a Soviet bomb). There's Metra's Union Pacific West Line, too, which goes out to Geneva, and whose Oak Park station is in the downtown area. There are other major streets, too, that lead into Chicago: Roosevelt Road, Jackson Boulevard, Madison Street, Lake Street, Chicago Avenue, Division Street, and North Avenue. Many of these corridors provide a clear view in the direction of downtown, and one can easily see the majestic Sears Tower rising high.
Indeed, Oak Park is in the shadow of Chicago, and often times, people lump its existence into a comglomerate blob known simply as "Chicago". But I feel that while Oak Park's existence can't be defined without Chicago, I don't feel Chicago can be defined without Oak Park and all the other neighborhoods and suburbs that make up the elaborate quilt of Chicagoland.
Oak Park certainly contributes a very special piece to that fabric. Some notable people and things have connections to Oak Park: Dan Castelleneta (the voice of Homer Simpson, who grew up not far from where my Great Aunt lives), Percy Julian, Ray Kroc (who grew up in on Home Avenue just to the west of me), Ernest Hemingway (born and raised here before going off on his life's adventures), Frank Lloyd Wright (whose home and many other examples of his work are here), Edgar Rice Burroughs (who wrote the original Tarzan books here), Kool-Aid's inventor lived here, as did the creator of the Twinkie. Today, we have the pleasure of counting among our residents author Harriette Gillem Robinet, who writes historical fiction stories from American history with African-Americans as protagonists. (Some might claim that Papa was born in Cicero, to the southeast, of which Oak Park was a part before it became an independent township, just a few years after his birth.) And then there's Fenwick High School, a Dominican college preparatory school, which includes among its alumni, Pat Quinn, current Governor of Illinois, who owns a home just to the north of Oak Park the Chicago city neighborhood of Galewood.
Architecture is a big draw for tourists to Oak Park, with the many fines homes and buildings. They also come to the many business districts, with their shops and restaurants--and not just in downtown and the Avenue, but also in other areas, like the Arts District on Harrison Street.
There are issues with crime in Oak Park, some of it related to the neighboring Austin neighbor in Chicago. But generally, I haven't been very affected by it, and consider it a safe place to live, as would many. I feel comfortable going out and about.
We have a great sense of community here, as fostered by such things as the Farmers' Market, held in Pilgrim Congregational Church's parking lot on Saturdays from late May to late October. There's also the Wednesday Journal newspaper, which my brother and I used to deliver on East Avenue between I-290 and Roosevelt, before all carrier routes were outsourced to the USPS.
We have a great community here, and I've enjoyed growing up here. Even though its prevailing political ideology doesn't agree with mine, that really hasn't been enough to make me eager to leave. I don't really have any objections to living here with more than 50000 other people. There's been so much in this place that has allowed me to have an enjoyable childhood and be raised well.
So yes, it has been a great 20 years in Oak Park. May God Bless Oak Park. And may He bless my home, just as in the words of this song, which I first heard at George W. Bush's second inauguration: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fb9WllWHcgM
Friday, August 9, 2013
My Newest Relative
This day, I had the great pleasure and distinct honor of meeting for the first time my newest relative, Ava. She was born just about two months ago to my cousin Greg, son of my mom's sister, and his wife Melissa. It was an exciting opportunity to meet their new baby.
My cousin Greg got this picture of me holding Ava in the Savoy Room (the dining area) at Lexington Square Lombard, as well as this one:
(Ava's Mom, Melissa, is putting the pacifier back into Ava's mouth as I hold her.)
She's a darling little one, and very lively, enjoying any opportunity to move around. It fills me with wonder and awe to watch this little life before me, soaking in all of the world around her. As my Grandma and I watched her moving around on the couch in her apartment, we got to talking about how amazing and precious the life of a new baby is. How incredible to think that we all started life this way, helpless, unsure of what to make of the world around us, and in a position to want nothing more than love and care.
Grandma remarked how fun it is just to watch her, saying that she could do it for hours. I couldn't agree more. I was sorry when it was time for me to leave, because I was so enjoying being in Ava's presence. Just having a baby around gives a whole new perspective on life, God's great gift to us humans.
As lively as she is, she was very mellow while we had lunch in the Savoy Room at my Grandma's residence, even sleeping a little bit. It was kind of a notable juxtaposition, to see this young life at a residence for people in their Golden Years.
I can't help but think that I can mark the passage of time since my graduation from Valparaiso University by Ava's age, as she was born just over three weeks after that momentous day for me.
As we were having lunch, Melissa was explaining that Ava is my second cousin once removed, and she would be the first cousin of any children I have. It seems like there should be a way to simplify how I describe my relationship with Ava. I'll mull over it a bit, and come up with a single word. For now, all I can say is that I am very delighted to have met Ava. And I couldn't feel more glad for her parents. Greg and Melissa have been so happy being in a relationship ever since high school. It's now such a joy for me to see them with their child. In the spirit of Prince George's birthday, I think of it like having a new little princess in the family.
She's a darling little one, and very lively, enjoying any opportunity to move around. It fills me with wonder and awe to watch this little life before me, soaking in all of the world around her. As my Grandma and I watched her moving around on the couch in her apartment, we got to talking about how amazing and precious the life of a new baby is. How incredible to think that we all started life this way, helpless, unsure of what to make of the world around us, and in a position to want nothing more than love and care.
Grandma remarked how fun it is just to watch her, saying that she could do it for hours. I couldn't agree more. I was sorry when it was time for me to leave, because I was so enjoying being in Ava's presence. Just having a baby around gives a whole new perspective on life, God's great gift to us humans.
As lively as she is, she was very mellow while we had lunch in the Savoy Room at my Grandma's residence, even sleeping a little bit. It was kind of a notable juxtaposition, to see this young life at a residence for people in their Golden Years.
I can't help but think that I can mark the passage of time since my graduation from Valparaiso University by Ava's age, as she was born just over three weeks after that momentous day for me.
As we were having lunch, Melissa was explaining that Ava is my second cousin once removed, and she would be the first cousin of any children I have. It seems like there should be a way to simplify how I describe my relationship with Ava. I'll mull over it a bit, and come up with a single word. For now, all I can say is that I am very delighted to have met Ava. And I couldn't feel more glad for her parents. Greg and Melissa have been so happy being in a relationship ever since high school. It's now such a joy for me to see them with their child. In the spirit of Prince George's birthday, I think of it like having a new little princess in the family.
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
A Tribute to my Great Aunt Carmen
So my parents and Abuela just got back a few days ago from a fabulous trip to Hawaii. This trip was planned as a celebration of my Great Aunt Carmen's 80th Birthday, for her, her sister, and their children and spouses. As part of the third generation down, I was not invited. But I have no hard feelings, because this guy was left behind for my brother and me to take care of for the whole week:
And I sure had a great time giving him belly rubs all week. So while not the subject of this post, I just have to put in a plug for Buddy the dog, because somehow, life comes back to a dog.
However, I still sense the delight that everyone experienced during this trip. I feel it radiating from my parents and Abuela as they recount their time in Kauai.
And I rejoice greatly in the celebration of Aunt Carmen's birthday. Upon this occasion, I here offer tribute to this wonderful woman.
She is also a fun-going person. Her motto is “Party, party, party,” and that really speaks to her ability to keep a light-hearted, jolly atmosphere going.
She has such a pleasant personality, and that makes it particularly pleasurable being around her. I enjoy every moment I visit with her, especially when she’s with her sister, my Abuela Velia. I delight in seeing them together because they are like best friends, constantly talking over the phone, going back and forth across a 1000-mile distance to visit each other, going out and about doing things.
Happy Birthday Aunt Carmen! God Bless for many more years to come.
(This picture, credit to my Dad, was taken during that most recent and memorable stay I had at Aunt Carmen's house.)
However, I still sense the delight that everyone experienced during this trip. I feel it radiating from my parents and Abuela as they recount their time in Kauai.
And I rejoice greatly in the celebration of Aunt Carmen's birthday. Upon this occasion, I here offer tribute to this wonderful woman.
She stands out for being a kind, loving individual. She constantly offers her love to those in
her family, even to me and all others in the Rubio family in Chicago. On special occasions in my life, she has sent
me notes and gifts, for graduations, and even an affirmation letter when I went
on the Kairos Retreat my freshman year of college. Her kindness and
love are extensive.
She is also a fun-going person. Her motto is “Party, party, party,” and that really speaks to her ability to keep a light-hearted, jolly atmosphere going.
She has such a pleasant personality, and that makes it particularly pleasurable being around her. I enjoy every moment I visit with her, especially when she’s with her sister, my Abuela Velia. I delight in seeing them together because they are like best friends, constantly talking over the phone, going back and forth across a 1000-mile distance to visit each other, going out and about doing things.
I have enjoyed visiting with her when she has come to
Chicago. And I have such wonderful, fond
memories of visiting her when I have been in Denver on three different
occasions in my life.
My best memory of her was during the most recent time my
family and I stayed at her home, which was back in August 2008, towards the end
of our family vacation week in Colorado. We spent a couple of days with her at her home
on Greenwood Boulevard in that fabulous city of Denver, CO. I was really excited about this part of our
vacation, having the opportunity to visit with her, and all my other relatives
in the Denver area, who make for such a lively bunch to hand out with.
Indeed, my excitement was bubbling the whole way from Pagosa
Springs to Denver. It started growing
even more so as we moved into the Denver Metro Area, turn by turn from the
Interstates onto the main roads. It kept
growing larger as we neared her house.
And then it all surged forth as we made the turn onto Greenwood and
pulled into her driveway.
Throughout the couple of days, she graciously bestowed her abounding
hospitality on us, as she did the previous two times, making us feel so welcome
in her home. She made us a great meal
the day we arrived: enchiladas made with ground turkey and flour
tortillas. And she treated us to
breakfast and dinner the next day. We
passed the time having many good conversations with her. Indeed, she made us feel so welcome and
comfortable for our stay.
I have that image of her beautiful person in her home emblazoned
in my mind as something so magnificent.
I look forward to the next time I go out to visit her, in her home with
the backdrop of the semi-rugged landscape on the edge of the Rocky Mountains,
in that crisp Colorado air.
Yes, she is such a wonderful, gracious woman. I am so glad God placed her in my life. And so I truly celebrate on this occasion.
So while I was not present for the celebration of Aunt Carmen's birthday with the whole group last week, I was still rejoicing greatly, especially as I went to Daily Mass that morning to give thanks to God for her and her presence in my life.
Happy Birthday Aunt Carmen! God Bless for many more years to come.
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