The Grapes of Reflection 2017

The blank slate that was 2017 on New Year's Day is now pretty well filled on this New Year's Eve.

And so once again I shall use the Spanish custom of consuming 12 grapes for the occasion of New Year's as a guide to reflect on what happened in my life in 2017.  While certainly not an exhaustive list, it covers a lot of ground in regards to the major highlights.

Grape #1, trip to Florida:  Certainly it was wonderful escaping to warm and sunny conditions evocative of summer there.  But it was also great being at the celebration of the marriage of my brother Eric and sister-in-law Naomi, and meeting her family.  I also enjoyed visiting with Linda, and just soaking what Florida has to offer along the Atlantic Coast.  And it was one of three trips by train this year.

Grape #2, trip to North Myrtle Beach, SC: I had a fine time being with my extended family to celebrate my Abuela' turning 80.  And it was the second of three trips by train.

Grape # 3, my trip to the Pacific Northwest:  What an action-packed adventure I had, soaking in the sights along the route of the Empire Builder, Seattle and Washington; Vancouver, BC; and Oregon, not to mention a fabulous time visiting with Roy.  With this trip following on the heels of my South Carolina trip, I was able to experience the country literally from coast to coast within a matter of days, with my first visit to the Pacific Ocean.  It stirred in me a greater enamorment for my country.  It was also so fitting to visit Canada in the year when it marked the 150th Anniversary since the British North America Act took effect--and I joined in the celebration on July 1 by attending a concert at Millennium Park featuring the Canadian Brass.  Going to Canada was also the first chance I had to use my US passport, which I got for the first time this year.  And by riding the Empire Builder to the Pacific Northwest, I reconnected with a great trip by train my family had 20 years ago.  (And all three of these trips gave me a chance to send out postcards, as a way to share the trip with family and friends.)

Grape #4, being a train engineer: After having enjoyed train rides so much, especially with three of them in the first half of 2017, I had a thrilling time getting in an engine and learning how to operate it during a visit to the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum.

Grape #5, returning to Valparaiso University for the Christ College Golden Anniversary celebration:  There's a certain kind of special feeling that swells inside me when I go back to this place that had a significant role in my life, and I certainly felt it when I was there on September 30 to celebrate a remarkable part of the university community.  It reminded me of why Christ College was a special part of my college experience, as I engaged thoughtfully in discussions of what it means to be human.

Grape #6, serving as an election judge in local elections: I had a great time serving my community and interacting with local citizens participating in the democratic process of the republic, this time around as it pertained to our local area.

Grape #7, working with volunteers at the Oak Park Public Library: I enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with the volunteers doing shelf reading/organizing at the library, because being a library volunteer as a teen was a great way I got involved in the community.  I started working with the volunteers as a paid staff person back during the summer, and it came as part of a promotion that I received in the department.  Following it came the opportunity to do work at the Chicago NERA office before starting full-time work at the Orland Park Public Library just a little over a month ago.

Grape #8, the ALA Conference in Chicago: One highlight was attending a session where teens offered feedback on books nominated for an award for teen books, including teens who were part of the volunteer program the Oak Park Public Library.  Another highlight was attending Ron Chernow's presentation, and then getting the chance, after a long wait in line, to get his autograph on an advance copy of his Grant biography, as well as the Hamilton biography I got as a gift from Eric and Naomi on Nativity Day 2016.  (This conference made headlines when Hillary Clinton was the keynote speaker at the closing session, as she extolled the importance of libraries in our US society.)

Grape #9, the birth of my cousin Micah: It was exciting to welcome in another member of the family, and it was especially beautiful meeting him on the Eve of the Nativity just a week ago when his lovely family came to the family dinner we were having.

Grape #10, marking 25 years in Oak Park: My home is so dear to me, and it was with great delight I celebrated this special milestone anniversary.  And how fitting it was that in this calendar year I got to visit the new OPRF History Museum that opened in the summer after extensive work lasting over two years to rehabilitate the space it now occupies.  It's an impressive place to see after having stopped by to view the progress at various intervals.  The new museum helps me get a better sense of what this place is that I have called home for a quarter-century.

Grape #11, making notable speeches: Upon hearing that Mr. Gates, my former 7th grade language arts teacher and once president of the District 97 board of education, decided not to seek another term, I made it my business to attend a board meeting and speak during the public comment period to offer tribute to his contributions to District 97 as a teacher and as board president.  In May, at a Mass to mark the conclusion of the Religious Education year, Diane Moriarty, the Ascension Director of RE, had me give a speech for my students. The way it turned out, I felt like it was a pretty epic speech as I offered my students some final words of encouragement.  And given the nature of the task before me, I felt like it was one of the most important speeches of my life.

Grape #12, my continued involvement with Religious Education: I realize I mention this each time I write my grapes of reflection post, and I'm delighted to say that I have something new and wonderful to share each time.  I was delighted to spend time with the 8th graders in the 2016-17 RE year that I started with in 2015 when they were in 7th grade.  And now, in the 2017-18 year, I continue teaching 8th grade with another set of amazing students.  I've made some very strong connections with my students, especially in the time I spent with them at a post-Confirmation retreat in March with the 2016 group, and then with the 2017 group at the 2nd annual Holy Fire, and then a week later, the great celebration of their Confirmation.  And I reinforced those connections attending plays at Brooks Middle School, which featured some of my students.  Seeing The Lion King was a true highlight because it is a great story with such profound insights.  The Little Mermaid was excellent, too, and reconnected me with a college class in which we watched the Disney movie version of that story and then discussed it.

My involvement with teaching Religious Education underscores how faith is such an important part of my life, and how vibrant my faith continues to be, like it was nearly 4 1/2 years ago when I graduated from ValpU, where it was rekindled anew.  Somehow, even with all the challenges and difficulties I've faced, my faith still remains vibrant as ever, and overall helps me upkeep a positive outlook on life.  And it's why I come to the end of this year with an upbeat view of the year as a whole, like I typically do when I reach New Year's Eve.  It makes me think of the musical Hamilton, in which the characters sing about how lucky they are to be alive--I was fortunate to attend that musical with my Grandma and see the history of the early United States come alive on stage.  I know I'm blessed because, by faith, I know God is real, active in my life.

And I've reached new frontiers in faith life, with my first time attending Mass outside the United States at the Holy Rosary Cathedral in Vancouver, and a new record for the earliest I've ever attended Mass, at about 6:10 in the morning at St. Mary of Celle in Berwyn on the Feast day of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe on December 12.

All of this takes place, and is enriched by, the context of community and relationships.  Indeed, Mass is all about our coming together as the Body of Christ to be strengthened and renewed by an encounter with His presence, so we can make His presence known in the world.  I extended the sense of community beyond the weekends to Monday evening gatherings with a faith-sharing group during the weeks of Lent with an awesome group of people.  We had some great discussions about the Gospel readings, and the life of faith itself.  And Ascension Parish celebrated the power of coming together as one in prayer marking 25 years of monthly Taize Prayer Services.  It was also very meaningful to see Roman Catholics and Lutherans come together for dialogue and prayer in commemorating 500 years since the 95 Theses.  Attending a panel discussion for this occasion at Concordia University Chicago was definitely a highlight of this year.

This idea of the impact of joining together as the Body of Christ is what I have been seeking to impart to my RE students, especially as I did in class the week before Confirmation.  I played for them "I Believe", a song written for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, with an English version sung by Nikki Yanofsky. (Her image appears around 1:58 in the video.  Please feel free to view this one or either of the other two versions below.)

It appears it was performed at the closing ceremony of 2010 Olympics, but I don't remember it, so it was like encountering it for the first time when I stumbled upon it over the summer, and I quickly became obsessed with it.  As I listened to it, I knew that the lyrics spoke volumes to the life of faith.  Sometimes we tread a path that's lonely, and seems to counter everything the world tells us.  But God wills us to be the best for His Glory.  And great power is unleashed when we come together as one, as the one body of Christ, "the power of you and I"--and yes, I recognize the song's lyrics are grammatically incorrect, but Nikki sure makes it sound great.  This power is like "an invincible force", which is the French version of the song, performed by Annie Villeneuve.  I told my students that the Holy Spirit is "an invincible force" within them, and with it, "nothing can stop them", so that they can make not just the world proud, but make God proud.

Around the time when I was in transition between jobs back in November, I stumbled upon a bilingual version sung by the Utah-based One Voice youth choir.  This performance of it totally mesmerized me, and furthermore offered me great encouragement, in a way I can't fully explain.

The song also speaks to being the change we wish to see in the world, and standing tall for what's right, and standing tall as we make an impact.

Those lyrics offer a great vision for us as we go forth from 2017 into 2018, as we seek to make the world a better place, and do it together, because ultimately, life is enhanced by relationships, and the investments we make in them are ones that are long-lasting.  In fact, all the experiences I shared in the 12 grapes above, as well as many other memorable happenings in 2017, all have to do with relationships.

So I end this year in gratitude that reaches even unto God for all those who were involved in making 2017 so special, who have demonstrated to me "the power of you and I."

2017 News and Events in Review

President Donald Trump did much to set a tone this year, from the day he was inaugurated back on January 20.  He let loose a lot of charged statements while seeking to set a new course for US society, often in direct contrast to President Obama's stances, even making "fake news" a term tossed about all the time.  He made some bold moves like recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, reversing the Obama administration's directives on transgenderism and public facilities, and appointing the distinctly right-wing Neil Gorsuch as a US Supreme Court Associate Justice to take the seat vacated when Antonin Scalia passed away.  The Supreme Court heard some cases on hot-button issues like the Colorado baker who refused to bake a cake for a homosexual wedding.  President Trump also issued some executive orders to address problems with immigration, with its implementation not going so smoothly.  He also sparked a conversation about NFL players refusing to stand for the National Anthem, which spread throughout the country.  Even here in Oak Park, some people took to the knee during the national anthem before football games at OPRF High School, and some OPRFHS District 200 board members did the same during the Pledge of Allegiance at the start of their meetings.

Locally, there was lots of controversy over building highrise developments in Oak Park.  There was also a good deal of conversation about two referenda that District 97 put on the ballot to ensure sufficient funds for operating and capital expenses, leading up to local elections on April 4.  The Cook County Board of Commissioners also approved a tax on sugary beverages to shore up the budget, which caused a major outcry and eventually the Board repealed it.

There were several states that faced big problems approving a budget.  Maine and New Jersey experienced state government shutdowns for a few days at the start of July.  Washington avoided a shutdown with about 40 minutes to spare, after debate over how best to fund schools.  Illinois finally broke past its long-lasting budget stalemate by approving a budget that raised state income taxes, overriding Governor Rauner's veto, a move that followed State Senator Christine Radogno's resignation, after remarking she did everything she could.

In September, Governor Rauner signed HB 40 into law, which provides taxpayer money to fund abortions in Illinois.  There were efforts in Congress to rescind government funds for Planned Parenthood.  Rallies were held throughout the United States in February, seizing the momentum with a Republican president now in office and Republicans in control of both houses of Congress, as part of efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, although it didn't result in any changes.  There was greater success in passing tax reform.

Offering commentary on many of these issues was Stuart Shepard at Family Policy Alliance of Focus on the Family, including through his Stoplight videos.  The final Stoplight video was posted at the end of November.

The Chicago PBS station WYCC also signed off the airwaves, which I wasn't aware of until several weeks after it happened.  (Fortunately, we still have WTTW-PBS in Chicago, which continues to air fine programming, like the Ken Burns Vietnam War documentary.)  Valparaiso University's Law School enrollment dropped so low that the school was shuttered.

Among those departing from their current line of work was Ms. Gullo, long-time Kindergarten teacher at Irving School.  I am glad that I was among those whose lives she impacted at a young age over the years, through all the delights that Kindergarten involves.

Deacon Lendell Richardson bid farewell to Ascension Parish to take on a new asssignment as deacon at St. Bernardine Parish in Forest Park.

Lisa Madigan decided not to seek another term in office, as did US Representative Luis Gutierrez, who cited the reason of wanting to focus on recovery efforts in Puerto Rico, which was hit hard by one of several destructive hurricanes that hit the United States.

Other major weather events that made headlines included wildfires and earthquakes in Mexico.  There was also major flooding in the Chicago area during the summer, which started out quite hot, enough for me to feel it was worth the money to get a pool pass.  The heat subsided in July and it never got quite as hot as it did during that string of days in June.  But it certainly heated up for a stretch of days in September.  Even November and the start of December featured some rather mild days, before a cold snap hit.

The winter at the beginning of the year started off rather cloudy throughout much of January.  Then February followed with some spectacularly mild, and sunny, weather.  All the while, there wasn't much snow, until a significant snow event in March.

It was also in March that there was a terrorist attack near the Houses of Parliament in London, which was not the only terrorist attack in the United Kingdom this year, including one that happened close to elections there in June.

There was great upheaval in Spain as efforts were launched to make Catalonia independent of Spain.  And there was heated activity over issues of race, like in August when a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville lead to violence.  There was also trouble with acts of ill will directed toward Jewish people.

Ill will was also shown toward a passenger on a United Airlines flight from Chicago-O'Hare Airport to Louisville, who was selected to vacate his seat for a crew member.  Troubles also occurred when a power outage hit Atlanta's airport.  This happened right around the time a terrible train derailment occurred on the Cascades route in Washington--something that hit home for me, because I rode that same route, and train number, back in May, although not on that stretch of track that was inaugurated that day.  Another derailment occurred on the Cascades route during the summer.

Long-distance Amtrak train service was one of those services targeted for budget cuts by the Trump administration's budget proposal.  That led to rallies to save train service.

There were also big rallies held throughout the months of 2017 as people vented their disapproval of Donald Trump, including a Women's March in Washington, D.C.

In the midst of a very polarizing atmosphere, one event that united people was the August 21 total solar eclipse that crossed the United States from coast to coast.  There was definitely a huge amount of hype, but certainly for good reason, because witnessing a total solar eclipse is pretty spectacular.  People flocked to spots outside to view the eclipse, even in the Chicago area where only a partial eclipse could be viewed, and it was somewhat cloudy.

While I wasn't there that day, it was apparently a much busier day than usual at the Oak Park Public Library since it hosted a solar eclipse viewing event out in Scoville Park.  The sorting and shelving team had an unusually large volume of materials being returned on the AMH.  That machine was replaced in December, and it's a pretty swell machine that's now in place to handle the return and sorting of materials.

The Oak Park Public Library also took a significant step in making the library more accessible by instituting a fine-free policy.  The library also hired a Multicultural Learning Librarian, Naomi Priddy, to oversee the recently-acquired Multicultural Collection, and expand opportunities for its use by a larger community of people in accessing its wealth of resources about cultures all over the world.

A new wealth of resources was opened to the public when the Bible Museum opened in Washington, D.C.  Mississippi opened a Civil Rights Museum in celebration of its Bicentennial on December 10.  Nebraska marked 150 years as a state back on March 1.

Dominican University marked 20 years since its name change from Rosary College, an anniversary that followed the name change of the Graduate School of Library and Information Science to the School of Infomation Studies, offering informatics studies in addition to the library information science studies.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops marked the centennial of its inception in the form of an organization focused on the war effort during World War I.  It was 100 years ago that the US entered the conflict.

The world's attention will focus on the United States come 2028 when the Olympics come back to this country with Los Angeles as the host city, decided at an IOC meeting that made Paris the 2024 Summer Olympics host city.  That gives us something to look ahead to, even as we wrap up 2017 and take on 2018.

And perhaps greater fruit will be born from the commemoration of 500 years since Martin Luther's 95 Theses, which brought opportunities for ecumenical dialogue and prayer, which we hope continue to bind the wound to Christ's body.  Perhaps it will happen in the spirit that is exhibited by Taize prayer services, which marked an anniversary at Ascension Parish back in October, 25 years of gathering together as one body of people in Christ to praise our God, Who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

The Blue Matrix That Has...

It was 15 years ago this month that my parents purchased the 2003 bluish Toyota Matrix that they still own.

In the weeks beforehand, I participated in some of their trips to car dealerships to look at new cars, even riding in some cars that they test-drove.  I didn't find it all that interesting to be present as they talked with people about cars, but I made a point to be a good sport about it.  But it was pretty exciting when they brought the vehicle home from the Bredemann Toyota dealer in Park Ridge.

That meant it was time to bid farewell to the bluish Volvo vehicle my family had, the only vehicle I had ever really known up to that point in my life.  It was a fine car and served us well in getting us to our destination on various trips, like our trips to Midwest locations including the Double JJ Ranch in Michigan (the last summer vacation for which we used that car), various trips to St. Louis (including one that tied in Springfield, IL, and Bluffdale Farm), and then to spots further away like Niagara Falls, and another trip to locations in Colorado including Denver and Estes Park.  And it got us around town, like on those days when I got a ride to Irving School.

When I was new to middle school, my parents were in the process of acquiring the new car.  And like the Volvo, it has served our needs well throughout the past 15 years.  It got us around town, like me to school, first Julian, then OPRFHS, and then to Valparaiso University, as well as Dominican University when I didn't bike or go by public transit there for graduate school classes.  It was the vehicle I used to build up behind the wheel experience once I started the process of learning how to drive.  I'm glad my parents have graciously let me use it often throughout the years for short trips in the area, and even the one time I took it to ValpU to bring some of my belongings back home during the week leading up to my college graduation.

And we took some great family trips using the vehicle, including the Outer Banks in North Carolina (2003), Lake Lure in North Carolina (2005), Nashville (2006), Williamsburg in Virginia (2009) right before going to start at ValpU, the Great Smoky Mountain area of Tennessee and North Carolina (2010), and Washington, D.C. (2011).

Indeed, it's a good vehicle that's still working pretty well.  I think back to the days when someone would pick me up from school, and as I walked out of school, it was always nice to see the sight of that bluish vehicle waiting to take me home.  Similar to the home in which I grew up, the Matrix is one of those things that is part of how I have experienced life for the past 15 years, and I'm delighted that my family has had use of it.

Time to Start Celebrating Illinois's 200th Year

Today marks the start of the 200th Year of Illinois Statehood, as it was 199 years ago this day that Illinois became a state.  The Governor's Office of Illinois Bicentennial has a number of wonderful celebrations already listed on its website for the coming year.

I myself am eager to celebrate Illinois over the course of this year, the place where I was born and have been a citizen all my life, which motivates me to think about what's special about Illinois and how it has contributed to the world around it.

In my effort to celebrate this 200th Year of Illinois leading up to the Bicentennial in 2018, I will share 200 things about Illinois in various posts on my blog.

And I'm making popcorn #1 on my list.  It is the official state snack food, as signed into law by Governor Rod Blagojevich back in 2003.  I think the choice is fitting because there's so much corn grown in Illinois.  Popcorn is a quintessential product of the soil, which suits the Illinois Bicentennial's catchphrase "Born. Built. Grown."

A healthy treat I like to share with people is popcorn I buy at the Oak Park Farmers' Market--#2 on my list--as there are many farmers throughout Illinois who sell their goods at markets like the one in Oak Park.  They sell ears of corn that can be put in the microwave to make popcorn, which pops right off the ear.  And it's just the flavor of the popcorn itself, in a natural state.  Indeed, it's pretty tasty.

So as I get myself into the spirit of celebration today, I eat and share some of that popcorn as I celebrate.

Furthermore, it's quite timely that the Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest had an Open House on this day at its recently opened History Museum--#3 on my list.

I went there for a visit in the middle of last month with my then-fellow colleagues at the Oak Park Public Library.  Toward the end of our time there, I mentioned to Frank Lipo, the Executive Director, how appropriate it was to have the open house of the history museum on Illinois's Statehood Day.  He then mentioned to me that the OPRF Historical Society started 50 years ago in response to a call issued by the organizers of Illinois's 150th-year celebration.  They asked what people in local communities were doing to commemorate Illinois history, and that encouraged some citizens in Oak Park and River Forest to start the historical society.  (They even met at the Oak Park Public Library as they got the society started.)

Visiting something like the OPRF History Museum helps focus my thoughts on my place in this state of Illinois, and the place my community of Oak Park has in this state, even as just days ago I pondered the special part Oak Park has played in my life upon the 25th anniversary of moving here.

Even as visitors to the museum get to know the history of this local area, we can be part of commemorating its history as part of the larger story of Illinois, just as those who started the OPRF Historical Society did nearly a half-century ago.  We recall what our history is about, to better understand who we are, as we go forth to be the best in our own place and for the world around us.

On display at the museum is a desk given to a local resident who was part of the Illinois State Constitutional Convention back around 1970.  This story is just one of many local residents who helped shape the world around them.  We reflect their stories as we draw from its richness to make Illinois the right kind of place.

While I am a lifelong Oak Park resident, I was actually born on the North Side of Chicago, and moved here when I was 20 months old.  I can say I've had a truly Illinois experience as I have the mark of the city of Chicago on me, and then went into the suburbs, encompassing a greater sense of being an Illinoisan.  That movement is a good way for me to start focusing on the vastness of everything Illinois has from Cairo to South Beloit, from Quincy to Danville, and everything in between, and that's plenty of reason to celebrate leading up to the Bicentennial Day on December 3, 2018.