The Grapes of Reflection 2018

I'm pleased to once again spend some time reflecting on the calendar year that is drawing to a close.  In keeping with what I've done in the past few years on this blog, I'm using the Spanish custom of consuming 12 grapes on the occasion of the changing to a New Year as a guide to provide points of focus for reflecting on this year.  Many of the highlights covered in these grapes touch on major events that I embraced with a strong personal dimension.

Grape #1: It was with great delight that I celebrated the Illinois Bicentennial, not only on December 3, but throughout the year, as I took many small road trips to see the sights of Illinois and get a better sense of what this state is all about where I have made my home.  I enjoyed the trips, which gave me the chance to see Charles Mound, and the former state capital cities of Kaskaskia and Vandalia.  Going to Springfield for the dedication of the Bicentennial Plaza on August 26 was a memorable day.  And as also part of my travels, I enjoyed riding in Amtrak Business class for the first time when coming back from Galesburg.  Illinois has a lot to offer and has really becoming something over the past 200 years--a far cry from James Monroe's observations that not much would come of the vast prairies he saw in the 18th Century.  By the time he put his signature to the resolution admitting Illinois as the 21st state, the potential Illinois held had already been tapped, and what a ride it's been for two centuries.

Grape #2: I enjoyed the opportunity to travel back to St. Augustine Mission five years after going there on a trip of service.  It was wonderful to reconnect with the people and places there and elsewhere in eastern Nebraska, and to have a trip with a strong spiritual component as well, manifested in visiting with Fathers Dave and Mark, attending Mass, and joining the Benedictine sisters in their evening prayer.

Grape #3: It was an honor to join the prestigious Knights of Columbus, which has a well-established reputation for upholding strong values in the Church so as to have a meaningful impact on society through service.

Grape #4: I enjoyed the opportunity to get in on some of the action at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.  I finally was able to get access to seeing some of the curling games.  Watching the opening and closing ceremonies also gave me the chance to take in some Korean culture, particularly K-Pop music.

Grape #5: I was glad to do my part contributing to the democratic process of the Republic of the United States and serve people in my community as an election judge for the November 6 elections, which, like the times before, was an equally exhausting and exhilarating experience.

Grape #6: I had many fabulous opportunities to participate in offerings by the newly-renamed Chicago Architecture Center, which moved to a new location this year, and changed its name from the Chicago Architecture Foundation.  I was at the opening weekend for the new CAC location, on Labor Day weekend, and I won a contest, which gave me as a prize a CAC membership, with plenty of opportunities to go on tours to take in some of Chicago's amazing architecture, which I also did on Open House Chicago weekend.  My brother and I also went on a nighttime architectural river cruise, whose tickets were also a prize.

Grape #7: As a way to pass the time with a longer distance to reach work than I had before my current job, I started to play audiobooks while commuting, which included many great books, including the Eric Metaxas biographies on Martin Luther and William Wilberforce, Daniel Pink's When, and a book compiling multiple speeches David McCullough gave on various occasions.

Grape #8: It was a true blessing to join the celebrations for Dan and Ann Ruggaber's Golden Wedding Anniversary back in August, and to take stock of the extraordinary relationship we've forged over the past 9 years that make me as much as part of their family as any of their sons, siblings, and other relatives.

Grape #9: With great joy, I marked in my own way the many other milestones that various people in my extended family attained this year.  Our family also welcomed a new addition:  It's been a pleasure getting to know Weasley, the dog my brother and sister-in-law have had since June.

Grape #10: I jumped at the opportunity to make a donation to the Julian mural project to give a meaningful opportunity for student artists to spend their time during summer break, while I also could give tribute to the extraordinary impact my Julian experience has had on my life.  The mural is a masterpiece, and it was a very memorable day when I attended the dedication ceremony for it.

Grape #11: I was able to reconnect with the amazing impact of my time at Valparaiso University as I marked the 5-year anniversary of my graduation from there.  Leading up to it, I went back there to talk with students about careers and share insights from my own experiences.

Grape #12: One of the most significant parts of my post-college life has been teaching Religious Education, which has given me the chance to channel the newfound zeal for faith I attained upon graduating from ValpU.  Most meaningful has been the way I have connected with my students as I pass on the great gift of faith to them.

As I think back on this year, I realize many of the significant events have drawn meaning from the various communities and families of which I've been a part: my own family, the Ruggaber family, my home parish and the RE community within it, the Knights of Columbus (both the local Ascension council and the larger organization), the larger global Church, the United States, the State of Illinois.  There's something incredible that happens when we come together, as we're able to create something that we could not doing as individuals.

I think about the song, "Glorious".  I stumbled upon on YouTube video of the One Voice Youth Choir singing it, and the song quickly became one of my favorites.  (The link goes to a version with the lyrics, and the video below shows the youth choir singing it.)

The song is in the soundtrack of Meet the Mormons, a documentary that profiles various Mormons.  The lyrics speak so richly to how we each have a purpose, and when we join together in living out that purpose, we create a beautiful, glorious symphony.

As I think about the communities I'm part of, I think about my place in them, and the contributions I've made to enrich them, which is why I've had so much reason to celebrate their special occasions.  These communities are a part of me, and have shaped me, much as I am part of them, and have shaped them like all the others who are part of them.  So I really have had so much reason to celebrate.

But what's more, these communities all embody timeless values.  So even as we bid farewell to 2018 and head into 2019, and as each successive year comes and goes, we find a firm foundation as we take our part to uphold the values these communities embody.  I thought much about this a couple of days ago when I was in Springfield, IL, for sightseeing as a way to extend the celebration of the Illinois Bicentennial.  Abraham Lincoln did much to uphold the values of the United States, much as did many others during a time of great crisis, particularly the soldiers in combat.

While they lived years ago, we are still connected with them, because we are part of the same country as they were, and we strive to uphold the same values as they did.  When their stories are told, they become alive as we embrace what they embraced.

Indeed, like is espoused in aboriginal American and also Roman Catholic spirituality, there is a connectedness we experience that transcends the bounds of time and space, bound up in the words, "All my relations."

As I see it, I'll keep carrying the cherished memories of the momentous experienced I had during this year of 2018 as I keep participating in the various communities of which I'm a part and continue to embrace and uphold the timeless values they embody, like I did in 2018.

2018 News and Events in Review

As was scheduled, this year 2018 brought another round of midterm elections.

In Illinois, that meant it was time for elections for constitutional statewide offices.  There were plenty of people running for the Democratic nomination.  Bruce Rauner had a challenge to the Republican nomination for Jeanne Ives.  While he made it through that challenge, another right-leaning candidates, Sam McCann, joined the race.  Ultimately, J.B. Pritzker claimed victory, quite soon after polls closing.

On the national level in politics, controversy continued to broil over President Donald Trump, and multiple books were released that gave an insider look at the Trump administration.  Some of the cabinet-level officials departed, including Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and more recently the news came of the departure of Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke.  US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley announced she would be leaving her post, and unlike other administration officials, will do so on good terms.

Great outcry ensued when the Trump administration's actions to address immigration problems led to the separation of children from their parents who were attempting to enter the US through unofficial means.  Protest rallies were held in cities across the country, including in Chicago on a hot summer day.  Near the end of the year, the federal government went into shutdown mode because of President Trump's insistence on $5 billion funding for a wall on the southern US border, which was one of multiple instances when the federal government went into shutdown.  

President Trump had another opportunity to appoint a Supreme Court justice when Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement, and selected Judge Kavanaugh, who was subjected to a brutally withering confirmation process when allegations surfaced he had attempted to assault one of his peers back in his high school days.  He survived to be confirmed, after an interesting vote, which almost meant Montana's US Senator Steve Daines would have to fly to Washington, D.C., after walking his daughter down the aisle at her wedding ceremony, but then didn't have to when a Democratic Senator gave a present vote.  Some Democratic senators in Republican-leaning states voted no and then were voted out of office in the midterm elections.  Those elections delivered quite a varied set of results, with the Democrats making some advanced, but Republicans making advances, too.

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Jack Douglas in his case that arose when he refused to bake a cake for a homosexual marriage ceremony.  But then he had to start up defending himself again after he refused to bake a cake for a customer wanting to celebrate a gender transition.

Locally, in Oak Park, the OPRFHS District 200 Board unanimously made a sweeping change in policy to make accommodations to transgender students, no longer doing so on a case-by-case basis.

High school students throughout the country took action with walkouts after a tragic shooting occurred at Douglas High School in Parkland, FL.  There were other tragic shootings, including at a bar in southern California, with terrible wildfires raging nearby, and another at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh.

Two major hurricanes struck the United States, Florence and Michael.  There was also major flooding in southwestern India.

Others who departed this life in 2018 include Aretha Franklin, George H.W and Barbara Bush, Billy Graham, Senator John McCain, 4 Chicago police officers, and little Alfie Evans, who died when the British government restricted his ability to get healthcare to address his rare neurological condition.

Across the Irish Sea, a blow was struck against the legal protection for the unborn when Ireland voted to repeal an amendment restricting abortions.

Rescuers worked tirelessly to rescue a soccer team that was trapped inside a cave in Thailand, a story that captured the world's attention.

The eyes of the world turned to the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, in February, with a notable scene of North and South Korean athletes parading into the stadium together.

President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jon-Un met for a summit in Singapore, which was almost entirely called off.

Mexico elected a new president, Andres Manuel Lobrador Lopez.

Canada legalized marijuana nationwide, as also happened in some US states resulting from the midterm elections.

A great scandal erupted when a Pennsylvania grand jury released a report on clergy sexual abuse, and shook the church to its core as Roman Catholics struggled to make sense of the situation.  The US bishops met in Baltimore at their annual fall assembly ready to discuss a course of action, but were instructed by the Vatican to wait.

Earlier in the year, before the scandal broke, a documentary came to theaters on Pope Francis.

It was around the same time that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle married in May.  Much less publicized was the wedding of President George W. Bush's daughter Barbara.

Eyes focused on events in Europe when the world marked 100 years since the armistice that ended World War I.

Far from the Earth, the InSight spacecraft reached Mars in late November, as NASA continues to strive toward new frontiers, just like happened 50 years ago in 1968 as the success of Apollo 8 helped the US inch closer to a moon landing.

The famed Lessons and Carols from the Chapel of King's College in Cambridge has marked 100 years since it started.

And, of course, Illinois marked its Bicentennial this year.  So we head off into a new year and forward into a new century in anticipation of the opportunities that will come.

The Larger-than-Life Experience of Texas

Today, December 29, is Texas's Statehood Day.  This occasion makes me think back to my first trip there, which was 6 years ago next week, when I attended the 93rd Annual AMS Meeting in Austin.

For me, traveling always has some kind of impact on me, and that was certainly the case with this trip in being able to experience Texas.

There's no doubt that Texas is enormous, and I was able to really soak it in by traveling onboard the Amtrak Texas Eagle train.  It entered the state in the early morning hours, but I didn't reach Austin until nearly 6:30 PM.  Even when factoring out time for layaways, that's still quite a long time spent traveling to cover such a large distance.

I awoke on the morning of Friday, January 4, 2013, to see the Big Piney Woods in the northeast part of the state, and I could confirm we were out of Arkansas when I saw the Lone Star Flag flying.

Shortly thereafter I saw a fine sunrise around 7:20 AM CST, as the train pulled into the Marshall station, which you can see in the photo below.

(Please note, all photos in this post are of my taking, unless otherwise noted.)

I took my first step on Texas ground at the Longview Amtrak station, around 8:22 AM CST, a stop where passengers could get off the train to walk around on the platform, even if continuing on.

Thanks to the fellow passenger who got this photo of me making my first step on Texas ground--it is not staged to look like, as this is the actual first step.

Within a couple of hours, the train reached the Dallas-Fort Worth Metro Area, and shortly after 11 o'clock, we had reached Dallas Union Station--please see photo directly below.

The Reunion Tower rising up high into the sky above the Amtrak Texas Eagle train #21 stopped at Dallas Union Station.

downtown Dallas

After leaving there, we traveled on a stretch of track that had a clear view of Dealey Plaza and the Texas School Book Depository building.

I continued to take in views of the behemoth DFW Metro Area as the train continued westward.  I'm pretty certain that at one point, I caught a glimpse of the Six Flags over Texas Theme Park.

Then, around 1 PM, we arrived in Fort Worth, another huge Texas city.  The train back into the station, and had a long enough layover so that I could get a Subway sandwich right at the station.

Downtown Fort Worth

Then we headed south through the wide open plains of Texas along the I-35 corridor, stopping in towns such as Cleburne, Temple, and Taylor.

The station at Cleburne

The wide open Texas plains south of Cleburne

Finally, after the sunset of my first day in Texas, the train arrived in Austin.  It's another large city in Texas.  Before checking into my hotel, I experienced a piece of Texas culture by shopping at a HEB store.

Here is the view crossing the Congress Avenue Bridge--the famed "bat bridge"--over the Colorado River in central Austin, on the morning of Saturday, January 5, while headed to the Austin Convention Center.  Far in the distance is the Texas State Capitol Building.

Outside of attending conference sessions over the next few days, I got to do some sightseeing and soak in more of Texas culture.  I ate at Tex-Mex restaurants and even had some wonderful Texas barbeque-style food, including at the cafeteria in the Texas State Capitol.

The Texas State Capitol

Of course, I had to visit the state capitol as part of my goal of visiting all 50.  And visiting any state's capitol is like going to a museum of that state's government, history, and culture.

The grounds of the Texas State Capitol have monuments for the Texas War for Independence and the Sectional War and even a monument to the Tejano people.

monument for the Texas War of Independence

Monument for the Sectional War

Tejano Monument

Inside and outside are decorations that show the six national flags/emblems of the six nations of Texas's history: Spain, France, Mexico, the Texas Republic, the United States, and the Confederate States of America.

In the annex of the Texas State Capitol, the area where the legislators' offices are located: to the left of the banner that states, "Texas one and indivisible" is the Mexico flag, followed, clockwise, by Spain, France, Republic of Texas, the Confederacy, and the United States

In the rotunda of the State Capitol proper: in the center of the star is the Republic of Texas seal; beneath it is the seal for Spain, followed, clockwise by the United States, the Confederacy, Mexico, and France

Inside the legislative chambers are large pictures of battle scenes from the Texas War of Independence.

From what I can recall, the painting above depicts the Battle of San Jacinto, and below, the painting depicts the Siege of the Alamo.  Both paintings are in the Texas State Senate chamber.

Also inside are portraits of some of the larger-than-life Texas political figures, like Barbara Jordan and Sam Houston, as well as President George W. Bush in the gallery of the past presidents' and governors' portraits.

Sam Houston's portrait in the gallery of Texas presidents and governors

George W. Bush's gubernatorial portrait

From what I can recall, the statue above depicts Sam Houston, and the statue below depicts Stephen Austin.

The building itself is quite largely, and very stately looking, as is the Governor's Mansion a short distance to the south.

I also went to see the LBJ Presidential Library and Museum at the University of Texas at Austin, which houses exhibits and the archives of a true Texas son, who was born a short distance west of Austin in Johnson City, TX.

The LBJ Presidential Library and Museum

Above and below are views from the top floor of the LBJ Museum.  Above shows a view toward the university and the Austin skyline.  The view in the photo below shows I-35, on an elevated roadway, to the left.

The Johnson administration Oval Office replica in the LBJ Museum

I thank the fellow visitor who got this photo of me posing with Lyndon B. Johnson's statue right outside the entrance to the museum.

This was my first time visiting a NARA Presidential facility.  I was floored by all the materials on display from President Johnson's life, including his report cards from his school days, and the Roman missal used at his swearing in aboard the Presidential plane on November 22, 1963.

Austin is known for its quirkiness, and I saw signs of it as I walked around, like the bat sculpture at the Congress Avenue "bat bridge".  Since I was there in January, I didn't have the chance to see all the bats fly out from underneath the bridge.  But it was kind of nice to be there in January to escape teh Chicagoland cold.  Even 40s was a nice enough improvement so that I never needed to wear a heavy jacket.

Above is the view of Austin skyline from the balcony of the Austin Convention Center, on my final night in Austin.  Below is the view of the intersection of 1st Street and Barton Springs Road, right by the hotel where I stayed during my time in Austin.  I took this photo during my final morning in Austin before heading to the train station.

When it was time to head back to Chicago, I went back to the Austin Amtrak station boarded the train to head back northward through the same wide open plains and stops at the big cities like Fort Worth and Dallas.  During both rides, it seemed fitting to read more of Decision Points, George W. Bush's memoir, especially while passing within close proximity of his Crawford ranch.

I finally bid farewell to Texas around 9 PM on Thursday, January 10, as the train pulled into the station at Texarkana, whereby I crossed out of Texas into Arkansas.

All in all, I have to say that I experienced a decent chunk of Texas during this trip, and it was pretty spectacular.  I look forward to returning for more visits to soak in more, since Texas has an endless supply of the fabulous, not only in size, but also in the variety of landscapes and the incredible mix of cultures that converge there, especially old West, modernistic, and Hispanic.

There is definitely a larger-than-life vibe that shows very strongly in Texas.

Peace so Heavenly

There was a conundrum at a church in Austria on December 24, 1818, that produced one of the most beloved and cherished Christmas Carols of all time, which is still being sung 200 years later today.

When the organ broke at the St. Nikolai Church in Oberndorf bei Salzburg, it was clear that it could not be repaired before Midnight Mass.  So the priest there, Father Mohr, asked the church's musician Franz Gruber to compose a song that could be performed on the guitar.

The resulting song began with the words "Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht", which translates into English as "Silent Night".

Here is a great video with the song in its original German.

There is something so simple and tender about this hymn, which speaks so richly the simple grandeur of what the Feast of the Lord's Nativity is all about.

The first verse gives us a window into the precious scene of the Blessed Mother Mary with her Child Jesus--with father Joseph included in the original German lyrics beholding their Child--and He sleeps so quietly in the "Heavenly Peace" that His birth brings to our world.

The second verse takes us to the shepherds who see the angels sing out praises that announce the glorious news of the birth of Christ the Messiah, Lord, and Savior.

And the third verse speaks to how from the Christ Child radiates a glorious Light because this Child is a great King Who, by His birth in our world, brings us salvation.

We behold the great gift of this Child Who was born in this world to die and rise again so that we may die to sin and live in Newness of Life.  Such a great gift bring us Light, Joy, and Peace, as nothing else can.

People use the word peace so much in the month of December leading up to Nativity Day, and that came to people's minds in a special way 150 years after "Stille Nacht" was first sung, when a sense of peace came to the world from above.  The astronauts of Apollo 8 had a special live broadcast from their space vehicle orbiting thousands of miles above the surface of the Earth on the evening of December 24, 1968.

They read from the account of creation in Genesis 1, and viewers saw images of the Earth.

Here is a video from their broadcast.

Mark Kurlansky concludes his book 1968: The Year that Rocked the World, with detailed accounts of the many chaotic events that happened in the United States and throughout the world, with the story of this broadcast, and the immense, healing effect it had on people.

With all the terrible happenings that year, people could get a different perspective on the world from above, seeing a fragile yet beautiful sphere of blue, green, and white.  To hear this message from brave astronauts who went up into space at great risk was a great healing gesture to the world, that offered great reassurance that everything could be made right again.

Indeed, the Feast of the Nativity is truly reason for celebration because the Divine came to Earth, which is a mind-boggling idea in and of itself.  And when the Divine came to Earth, born as a baby, we could see our world, and ourselves so differently, as we behold how God could love us so much that He would come to identify Himself as a person like us to set everything aright and bring us, the people He created in Love, back into a relationship with Him.  Now we can focus our gaze upwards in the hope that we will, one day, be with Him in Heaven because He came to Earth to make that relationship possible.

So we truly rejoice as we make our way there that in Christ alone, we have Peace that has come to us from Heaven.

In Celebration of 200 Years of Illinois and Beyond

The yearlong Illinois Bicentennial Celebration came to wonderful culmination earlier this month at a fine concert celebration of the official 200th anniversary of Illinois statehood on the evening of Monday, December 3, 2018.  If there was one takeaway from the evening, it was that so there's so much to note about Illinois from all it has come to contain in the past 200 years that it can't be contained in one evening event, nor really even in one year of celebrating.  That's why I hereby am starting another List of 200 Notables for Illinois, now that Illinois is 200 years old as a state, because I feel energized by what I experienced on December 3, as well as throughout the yearlong observance, to keep taking stock of what's significant about Illinois.

The day before the official statehood day, December 2, I went to Addison for a presentation of Party Like it's 1818.  Ellie of Ellie Presents helped give us a sense of what the elements of the celebration were like, and what life was like, when Illinois became the 21st State.  There was a reenactment of speeches, items typical to the era, dancing, and even food, like small corn doughy nuggets, winter root stew, and venison sausage.  (One speech was a proclamation from December 22, 1818, by Governor Shadrach Bond, announcing that President Monroe had signed the resolution admitting Illinois as the 21st state, which was on December 3, and Governor Bond called for a meeting of the state legislature.)

One part of the presentation that stood out was when she talked about the 21-star flag (#1), which debuted on July 4, 1819, when Illinois's star was added.

The flag is in the center of the photo, appearing with 20 stars, as it would have on December 3, 1818, through July 4, 1819, when the 21-star flag would have been unfurled.  Please note that all photos in this post are of my taking unless otherwise noted.

Sewing machines weren't in widespread use in 1818, and so US flags had to be hand-sewn from available materials.  She decided to create a flag like they did in 1818.  It took her 30 minutes to do each star, and then she had to sew the stripes.  The people who decided on the design of the flag didn't coordinate with those who did the sewing, and thus, the new designs were hard to sew.  And with so many new states entering at that time in the 19th Century, the US flags had to be constantly re-sewn.  It was so interesting to engage with the history and hear the circumstances of Illinois's coming into existence as a state.

That historical context set the tone well for the next day, December 3, when I went to the Grand Ballroom at Navy Pier, among the top tourist attractions, for the official Bicentennial Bash.
Even though all of Illinois and its 200 years can't all be contained in one evening celebration, the two-hour event incorporated a lot of it.  Bill Kurtis was the MC for the evening.  Governor Rauner and Governor-elect Pritzker both made remarks.  Each of the attendees got a program that also was a commemorative compilation of notable events from Illinois history.

Interspersed throughout the various live performances of the evening were videos highlighting different aspects of Illinois: entertainment, sports, US presidents, veterans, and music.

Joe Mantegna (#2) narrated a video about veterans.  As part of offering them tribute, the musical band played the Armed Forces Medley.  The musicians also played music from the soundtrack of the Lincoln movie, directed by Steven Spielberg, in tribute to the person who is arguably the quintessential Illinoisan.

To offer further tribute to Abraham Lincoln, Miguel Cervantes, who plays Alexander Hamilton in the Chicago staging of the Hamilton musical, sang a Gettysburg Address rap, "All People are Created Equal", accompanied by high school students who were Illinois High School Theater Awardees.  In addition to the words of the speech, toward the end, the students sang "God Bless America", embedded into the rhythm.

On the screen, you can see Miguel Cervantes in a dark suit jacket-like outfit, with the high school students flanking him.

That was my favorite part of the evening, and I think this rap could spin off into another musical.

Of course, no birthday celebration would be complete without cake, and Eli's Cheesecake furnished a sizable and sumptuous cheesecake (#3).

Above is the cheesecake, evoking the design of the current Illinois State Capitol, with Governor Raun appearing to the far left; right by the cake is the person who I believe is the president of Eli's Cheesecake.  Below are cut pieces that were distributed to attendees.

Leading a tribute to the amazing athletes of Illinois was Olympic medalist Jackie Joyner Kersee (#4), in the photo below, who noted other Illinois Olympians, and the various championships won by Chicago and Illinois sports teams, with all the championship trophies coming out on display at one time--a historic moment.

To offer tribute to "da Bears" (#5), two people did a comedy routine, trying to mention "da Coach", Mike Ditka (#6), as often as possible.

The final part of the celebration sent us singing off into the night, first with Kevin Cronin of REO Speedwagon (#7), which he noted is a truly Illinois band, starting in Champaign, then spending a significant amount of time in Chicago before heading out west.

Then Buddy Guy (#8) played Blues music (#9), as you can see in the photo below.

While the Blues came to prominence in Chicago, they came to Chicago by people who migrated through Illinois while coming up from the Southern United States.  They sent us off with a spirited performance of "Sweet Home Chicago" (#10).

Oh, what a night that was, to get us jazzed up for many more years of amazing Illinois.

About a month before the official day of the Bicentennial anniversary of statehood, I had the opportunity to take in some of what Illinois has to offer on a short trip out to Galesburg, which was basically for "the thrill of it".  I hadn't been on a train trip in a year and a half, so I thought it would be nice to spend part of a day to go somewhere, and Galesburg seemed like a reasonable distance to go.

It was a thrill to board the California Zephyr and make my way westward, passing out of the resplendent suburbs along the BNSF rail line into the heart of Illinois farm country.  The first place I headed after arriving in Galesburg was the Old Main (#11) on the campus of Knox College (#12), the site of one of the Lincoln-Douglas debates.  Knox College ardently supported Mr. Lincoln's candidacy for the US Senate, which is why there was a debate there.  Inside the Old Main is a room with a small display on Abraham Lincoln.  At the debate, a stage was set up by the Old Main, with a large crowd gathered on the lawn protuding eastward.

Past the sign in the foreground is the lawn where the crowd gathered for the debate by the Old Main, which is the building in the photo.

To get on the stage, Mr. Lincoln had to climb through a window, which you can see in the photo below, next to an image of Abraham Lincoln.

After doing so, he quipped that he had gone through college, as described in the sign below.

I thank the passerby who got this photo of my posing in the display room by the window through which Abraham Lincoln climbed to get onto the stage for the debate.

I think that window, and its story, serves as a kind of metaphor for Illinois upon the achievement of this Bicentennial milestone.  We've gone through a storied past through a window with our wealth of resources, both of the land and people, into a new century.

It was in that kind of excited spirit that I returned to Chicagoland, doing something I had never done before: I took my seat in business class onboard the Carl Sandburg train back to Chicagoland, named for the famed literary figure (#13) who was born in Galesburg.  It had some perks like a quieter space at the back of the train with extra seating space, with only 3 passengers, including me, right by the cafe serving area, where I could take advantage of complimentary non-alcoholic beverages.

I thank the fellow passenger who kindly got this photo of me enjoying the ride in business class onboard the Amtrak Carl Sandburg train .

So there I was, riding off into the night taking in my special digs, riding in a totally new setting.  And Illinois is riding off into a new century, having a variety of notable and exciting experience of 200 years as the 21st State.  We have an incredible opportunity to shape many more years to come for more amazing things, just as so much was celebrated in the ballroom at Navy Pier on that fabulous night of Monday, December 3, 2018.  Like Kevin Cronin (#14) sang in words he composed while on his journey from Chicagoland out west, we'll "keep on rollin'" into the years ahead.

I thank the fellow attendee seated behind me for getting this photo of me after the conclusion of the Illinois Bicentennial celebration in the Navy Pier ballroom.

Partying 1818-Style: An Illinois Bicentennial Salute

It's time to party like it's 1818 all over again as we say, Happy 200th Illinois!

It was on today's date, December 3, in 1818, (#190) that President James Monroe signed a congressional resolution admitting Illinois as the 21st State of the United States (#191).

I am so delighted to celebrate this significant milestone for Illinois, a special place, because it is home in the truest sense of the word, the place where I was born and of which I've been a citizen all my life.

(I'm furthermore delighted to enhance the celebration as I reach a milestone on my blog, for this post in tribute to Illinois's 200th Anniversary of Statehood is the 300th post on this blog.)

Throughout the past year, I've enjoyed the opportunity to take stock of all this state has, especially in taking road trips around the state, particularly in seeing the places associated with the history of Illinois's earlier years.  I've gained valuable context that has helped me see the circumstance in which Illinois became a state, and how the people who progressed the history of this state lived in years gone by.

And it's amazing to think of where Illinois has started and what it has become.  Our heritage is truly embedded in the wide open flat lands, where various aboriginal peoples lived, like the Illiniwek (#192), from whom this state gets its name, when the early French settlers came and made the name "Illinois".  Their name means "tribe of superior men" in the Algonquin language.

It's this history that I got to celebrate in story and song with Barry Cloyd leading a presentation I attended a couple of weeks ago:  As he told a narrative of Illinois's history, including significant events and people, he interspersed songs appropriate to the time period.

He ended his presentation on a reflective note, and then sang the Illinois state song, entitled "Illinois" (#193).  I got kind of emotional as he strummed on his guitar and sang, while I started singing along, too.

Whenever I travel outside of Illinois, upon crossing back into the state, I sing the first verse of the Illinois state song, and sometimes carry on to the other four verses.  It's a habit I developed many years ago as a way to emphasize how special this place is.

Indeed, I feel the song's lyrics aptly encapsulate all that Illinois is, in such eloquent, poetic verse--please see the link above to read the lyrics.

Our origins are in a land of vast prairies, so that it is fitting Illinois is nicknamed the "Prairie State" (#194).  And from those prairie lands came a robust agricultural economy, one of Illinois's mainstays to this day (#195).  Within those prairies are waterways (#196), which served as a vital link in the middle of the continent, from which arose Chicago (#197), a great city where many people converged to create quite a melting pot of neighborhoods and suburbs (#198).

Illinois became a state in the antebellum era, and many of its people played a prominent role in working to end slavery, especially when the fiercely divisive sociopolitical atmosphere broke out into war.  Generals Grant and Logan (#199) were two prominent Illinois residents who contributed significantly to the war effort.  And, of course, Abraham Lincoln left his mark on Illinois much as Illinois left a mark on him, so that Illinois has become known as the "Land of Lincoln".

That's what makes Illinois's story so wondrous, and what makes our contribution to the narrative of the United States so notable.

For the Centennial of Illinois 100 years ago, a monument went up in Logan Square in Chicago, where it still stands, as you can see in the photos below--a neighborhood that's part of my family's heritage because my Dad grew up there.  I feel the monument serves as a notable symbol for our history (#200).  And it's this history we remember as we look forward to what lies ahead in the future, striving to make it a bright for all people.

On this special day of celebration, I am pleased that I have left a mark on Illinois as much as it has left a mark on me, so as the world has made its mark on Illinois just as Illinois has made its mark on the world.

Here I am in Kaskaskia, the first state capital city of Illinois, where the government of Illinois first came together back in 1818.  The sign on the building, which I belive is the rectory for the Immaculate Conception Chapel, reads, "Kaskaskia, Randolph County, Where Illinois Began."  I thank the woman I met at the chapel who got this photo of me.

The Illinois Bicentennial Flag flies in the wind on a pole by the structure housing the Liberty Bell of the West in Kaskaskia.  All photos is the post are mine, unless otherwise stated.

At the Vandalia Statehouse Historic Site in Vandalia, below the US flag atop the pole flies the Illinois Bicentennial Flag.

The Logan Square Centennial Monument.

Thanks to the person sitting on a bench who agreed to take a photo of me posing by the aforementioned monument.  

The sign reads, "To Commemorate the Centenary of the Admission of Illinois as a Sovereign State of the American Union. December 3, 1818, with the year in the Roman numerals MDCCCXVIII.  Erected by the Trustees of the B.F. Ferguson Fund 1918." Below are images of the various figures who played a part in Illinois history.

I thank the fellow visitor who got this photo of my posing at the current Illinois State Capitol, near the rotunda.  To the left of me is the US flag, and to the immediate right is the Illinois state flag, and to the far right of me is the Illinois Bicentennial flag.

I thank the fellow fairgoer who got this photo of my posing by a sign that speaks to who I am:  "Born. Built. Grown" in Illinois.

Here are the other blog posts with items on my 200 List for Illinois's Bicentennial:

Time to Start Celebrating Illinois's Bicentennial

Land of Lincoln

Presidents' Day Illinois Style

Celebrating Chicago

In Tribute to Tom Skilling and His 40 Years on WGN

Illinois Government Affairs

The Lasting Legacy in Art

Springfield, Springfield--O What Celebration!

At Yesteryear's Pace

An Illinois Collection upon the Illinois River

Ascending to the Highpoint of Illinois

A Capital Excursion