Oak Park's Contributions

The foundation for an important part of my identity was laid 29 years ago today when my family moved to our home in Oak Park, IL.

Ever since I started college, I've been adamant about telling people I'm from Oak Park, and not Chicago.  While it's true that Oak Park is defined by its proximity to the city of Chicago, I firmly believe that Chicago is also defined by Oak Park's proximity to it.

Today is a great occasion to reflect on what Oak Park contributes to Chicago and Chicagoland.

It has a dense urban feel with the way the housing is arranged on the blocks.  Yet it has a distinctly suburban feel, which may speak to how Oak Park developed after the city of Chicago, being beyond the urban sprawl for years.  Many of the residential neighborhoods have a quiet feel, and even the business districts have a somewhat laidback feel to them.  There's a great neighborly atmosphere in Oak Park, and we have an appreciation for diversity, with many in the village striving in efforts to embrace that quality of diversity.  I've liked how there are so many small businesses with an idiosyncratic touch, like the former Aripo's serving Venezuelan food, and places that remain, like Grape Leaves with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes, and Khyber Pass with Indian food.

There are trees lining the streets everywhere, and it seems fitting that Oak Park got an arboretum designation a few years ago.  There are many historic homes, some with a special architectural touch, like Frank Lloyd Wright-designed homes, especially those in the Prairie Style.  And the Oak Park Conservatory is also a historic structure, even as it's a wonderful place to step into some greenery.

I appreciate how walkable Oak Park is, which enhances that sense of neighborliness.  It's nice to walk to places like Church or the Maze Branch of the Oak Park Public Library.  I'm glad we have that branch library that gives me easy access to library resources close to where I live.  And it's nice to bike the streets of Oak Park, too, making for a great way to leisurely enjoy the warm weather.

Indeed, this small village has a lot to offer Chicago, and I am grateful that it's been my home for a great quantity of years, and a great quality of years.

10 Years of Deeper Meaning

It was 10 years ago this weekend that the faithful gathered at Mass and we found ourselves adjusting, with a stumble here and there, to a new translation of the Roman Missal.  Mass felt a bit chaotic, but it was for a good reason as we embraced new wording.

As I understand it, the back story is that when the prayers of the Mass were translated into English after the Vatican II Council, the process was expedited and the resulting words were geared to get the gist of the prayers rather than a more precise translation of the original Latin.

Decades later, a new effort sought to implement the more precise translation of the Latin words.  Probably the most distinct phrase that is used multiple times as a response by the assembly was the change from "And also with you" to "And with your spirit".

Looking over the new translation, I thought about the few times I went with my friend Matthew to his LCMS Church for their divine liturgies, and the words in their prayers closely resembled the changes that were implemented with the new Roman Missal translation.

Yet at the Chapel of the Resurrection at Valparaiso University, the prayers were similar to the old translation of the Roman Missal.  So once we Roman Catholics switched, it was somewhat humorous to hear the response "And also with you" still used at the Chapel.

Both my home parish of Ascension and St. Teresa of Avila Roman Catholic Student Center, my parish away at college, like other parishes, worked to prepare parishioners for this change in the months prior to the First Weekend of Advent 2011, and provided resources.

St. Teresa's distributed a packet of papers to explain the changes, including Scriptures references to the prayers, which had on its front cover a sequence of words to indicate the same prayers, new words, and "Deeper Meaning".

While some criticized this effort as making the church appear too focused on worship instead of acts of charity to serve those in need, I recognize that proper worship is an important part of our faith life and helps spawn charity.  These new prayers were an opportunity to rediscover the rich meaning of our prayers.

For one, I see deep meaning in the response "And with your spirit", which reflects how we acknowledge God's Spirit is upon the ministering priest at Mass.

The word "consubstantial" is used in the newer version of the Nicene Creed, which speaks to how the Son is of the same essence, or substance, as the Father.  Cardinal Cupich wrote a column on the meaning of that word, and it was insightful as he spoke to its richness.

In the Eucharistic prayer, the priest, praying with the chalice, instead of the cup, says it is the Blood of Christ poured out for "the many", a change from "poured out for all".  As I understand it, the idea is that the gift of salvation is not just limited to a few select people, but is for many more, and in some ways, still speaks to the sense of being for "all".

I also think about the response, "Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof..."  That phrase echoes the words of the centurion to Jesus when pleading for his servant's healing.

Just under 2 years after the new translation was implemented, I was sitting with a group of youths who were about 1 month away from Confirmation.  I had just been with them for several hours on a retreat.  We concluded our day with Mass back at Ascension.  When we got to that prayer response in the Mass, I thought about the impact of that day on me.  I had just concluded my time as a student a few months before with my college graduation.  In all those years, I was used to having someone over me to direct me, and having to seek their permission.

Now, on that day, it really dawned on me for the first time that I was in an overseer position, not only helping with that retreat, but also in my new role as a catechist.

Yet, even though I had a measure of authority, I was still under the authority of God--just as that centurion recognized he had charge of his soldiers, yet was still humble enough to recognize how mighty God was.

Indeed, throughout all my years of teaching RE, I have recognized how I had been given a measure of authority so that I may do what is in the best interest of my students, as I tend to their souls while leading them to encounter God.

And so we continue to gather at Mass to encounter our God, and embrace the ways we can enter more deeply into relationship with Him as we enter into deeper prayer with the words at Mass.

Thanksgiving Thoughts 2021

I feel so inspired on this Thanksgiving Day after having attended Mass earlier.  I have come to embrace Mass as a great way to set the tone for this US holy day.  The first thanksgiving celebrations hearken back in history before the Pilgrims, to Masses that Spanish explorers and settlers held in the 16th Century.

Then, in the context of history, once the USA was independent, President Washington issued a proclamation in 1789 for November 26 to be a day "to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be".

President Lincoln issued a proclamation 74 years later that established Thanksgiving as an annual holiday, "a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father".

And President Biden's Thanksgiving Proclamation for 2021 states, "Thanksgiving provides us with a time to reflect on our many blessings--from God, this nation, and each other. We are grateful for these blessings, even--and especially--during times of challenge."

Indeed, it's clear from these presidential proclamations that God is the source of all that is good, and how wonderful this holiday reminds us of that great Truth and inspires us to live it more fully that day, as we open ourselves to seeing God's goodness all around us, and those who show it to us.

I continue to remain grateful for the opportunity that Religious Education class has provided me over the years to demonstrate my ability to show care for other people and for the blessing my students have been.  I think about how two of my former students have birthdays today.  

And I even think about how one of my cousins out in the Denver Metro Area has a birthday today, too, and how wonderful it has been to know all those in the Denver area and beyond.

In just a few days, my family will mark 29 years since the day we moved to Oak Park.  I abound in Thanksgiving for a great home that has shaped me so wonderfully into the person I am.  It is indeed more than a home, as it has been the setting for formative experiences that have defined my identity through the events and relationships that have been part of my life in this home.

Just a few days ago marked 5 years since Moana debuted in theaters.  I was captivated by the story the first time I saw the movie.  Moana certainly had a special relationship with her grandmother, who helped me understand her calling that drove her on a mission with a great sense of purpose.  Surely our relationships define us and give us purpose in a similar way.

Today is also special for one family, as it marks 40 years since the birthday of Jenna and Barbara Bush, who are the only twins born to a US presidential couple.  I listened to their book via audiobook, which is entitled Sisters First.  Even though they've grown into amazing accomplished women who have achieved much and now have their own husbands and children, they still share a special bond that transcends time and space.  It was fitting that I listened to this book during my trip to Florida earlier this year to visit my family there, Naomi, Eric, and Weasley.  There was much about the journey there and back that took great effort.  And at one point, when it looked like I would miss my connecting train, my parents were ready to get me on a flight south from Washington, D.C.  Though I ended up boarding the connecting train, I was touched by their willingness to jump in and offer me help.

This week also marks 15 years since the opening of Buttered Bunns Cafe in Miami, OK--at least, based on a piece of artwork I saw in the restaurant with the date "11-24-06".  About 4 1/2 years after it opened, I went with the group on my storm chasing trip in college to share a meal there when we spent the 2nd night of our trip in Miami, upon recommendation of the staff at our hotel.  It was a great meal there indeed, but also a great time being together.

Indeed, there's something powerful about relationships, and points us to the great Truth that God is the source of all good.  Maybe that's why Mass this morning had such a transcendent quality.  While God is unseen, we know He's real as we take the time to recognize His presence and goodness all around us.  We call upon Him knowing that despite our sins and failings, He is merciful and heals us in the midst of sin and all troubles we face in this broken world.  And we marvel at the great bounty of joys and blessings that He bestows.

And that is a reality worth celebrating every day, even as it inspires us to make much of those blessings and those relationships.

Indeed, as they say in the Lakota language, Mitakuye Oyasin: All my relations.

Food donations surrounding the altar at Ascension Church following Thanksgiving Day morning Mass

Opening up Chicagoland Anew

Open House Chicago, sponsored by the Chicago Architecture Center, is arguably my favorite annual event in Chicagoland.  It's a great opportunity to see buildings that showcase the great variety of architecture and sites in Chicago and suburbs.  Indeed, it enhances my appreciation for this place where I live.

So I always make a point to tour a few sites each year

But this year, I enhanced my OHC experience by serving as a volunteer.

Before volunteering on that Saturday, October 16, I first headed to Chinatown to see the inside of the Puk Tai Center.  Its history stretches far back in the Chinatown neighborhood, embedded in the larger Armour Square neighborhood on the Near Southwest Side of Chicago.  Currently, it's used as a community center and church sanctuary space for the Chinese Christian Union Church.

While nowhere near the tallest building among this year's OHC sites, there were splendid views of the Chicago skyline from the third floor balcony, not to mention great views of the main Wentworth Avenue business district of Chinatown.

Above is the view looking northeast from the third floor balcony. Below is the view from the balcony looking south along Wentworth Avenue.

Here I am, posing on the balcony. I thank the fellow visitor who took this photo.

Inside the Puk Tai Center

A few minutes after noon, I departed Chinatown, and went to get lunch at Just Turkey in Bronzeville.  As the name suggests, the items on the menu feature turkey.  It's a really interesting concept for a restaurant, and I felt it was worthwhile to stop by again after first going there a month prior.  This time, I got a grilled turkey wrap.

I went from Just Turkey straight to my volunteer site, the Nichols Tower at Homan Square, arriving shortly after 1 PM.  It was a cool and windy day, but it was sunny, so I sat outside the tower at a picnic table and ate my wrap.

I then entered the Nichols Tower and walked around inside to orient myself to the space.  I walked up to the 14th floor, which has great views of the West Side, looking toward Garfield Park to the north, to Lawndale and beyond to the south, downtown Chicago to the east, and the Near West Suburbs to the west.

Here's the view looking east from floor 14.  You can see the downtown skyline, with the Sears Tower in the middle.

Here's the view from floor 14 looking west with the West Side and toward the near west suburbs.

View of the space at the top of the Nichols Tower.

Here's the view looking southwest.  Near the center of the photo is the Hawthorne Works tower in Cicero.

Here I am posing by a window with a  view looking east, again with the newer Sears Tower.  I thank the fellow visitor who got my pose here.

Here's a view of the staircase inside the tower.

By 1:30, I was back at the entrance area on the first floor, and got myself ready to take over for the other volunteers.  For the next 2 1/2 hours, I welcomed visitors and told them what they could see at the building.  I felt rather energized welcoming visitors upon their arrival.  And it was fun to say, "Welcome to the Original Sears Tower."  At one point, I went up to the top again to post myself as available for visitors.

I also took a quick break to see the old Power House across Homan Avenue, which is now the Charles H. Shaw Technology and Learning Center, and houses the DRW College Prep charter school.

Here's a view of the interior of the Shaw Center.

I walked up to the top one final time around 3:50 to get visitors ready to depart upon the closing time at 4 PM.  After finishing wrap-up tasks, I went home.

Late the next morning, on October 17, Mom and I departed Oak Park for the Observatory at the John Hancock Building, arriving around 1 PM.  Because I volunteered at OHC, I got CAC member privileges, which included access to members-only sites like the John Hancock Observatory.  After getting our free tickets, we got in line, and went to the observatory.  Unlike the last time I visited during OHC 2019, there were clear skies this day, with fantastic views.  Certainly it was amazing to see the nearby buildings in downtown Chicago and the Lake Michigan shoreline.  But it was also amazing to look inland from Lake Michigan and soak in the urban area and look for the suburban areas, too.

View looking east toward Navy Pier

View looking south toward the Loop and the lakefront

View looking southwest, with the Sears Tower toward the left

The shadow of the John Hancock Building protruding northward toward Oak Street Beach

View looking north along the lakefront, with Lincoln Park appearing as the greenish area near the center of the photo

Mom and I pose along the west side of the observatory.  I thank the fellow visitor who took this photo.

Looking up at the John Hancock Building from Michigan Avenue at street level

We departed after about 20 minutes at the observatory.  We returned to the Loop, where we parted ways.  

I rode the Loop tracks to Washington/Wells.  I ended up at the food court at the Ogilvie Transporation Center, where I got Panda Express for lunch.  It was conveniently served in a bowl that allowed me to eat and walk at the same time as I walked to the Bank of America building.  The third floor was open for visitors to see the board room spaces.  After briefly looking around there, I went to the top to take in the amazing views.  It reminded me of the topmost floor at 300 N. Riverside Plaza, just north of the Bank of America  Tower, with similar views from an unfinished space.

The Bank of America Tower along the South Branch of the Chicago River

On the 3rd floor of the Bank of America Tower

The open space at the top of the Bank of America Tower

Looking down at Wolf Point, the Y spot where the three branches of the Chicago River meet

View looking west, with the United Center appearing as a whitish top just to the left of the center of the photo

Here I am posing on the east side of the building, with the view of the Loop appearing behind me, including the spire of the First United Methodist Church with the Sky Chapel. The fellow visitor who took this photo recognized me from the Nichols Tower the day prior.

View looking south, including the Sears Tower, the South Branch of the Chicago River, and the railyards extending south from Union Station

Looking up at the Bank of America Tower from Wacker Drive at street level

Next up, I went to the Sears Tower to view the new Catalog food court and the outdoor terrace.

Looking up at the Sears Tower from Adams Street and Wacker Drive at street level

Inside the Catalog food hall

looking up at 333 S. Wacker building from the 4th floor outdoor terrace of the Sears Tower

View of the 4th floor outdoor terrace atop the Catalog

Here I am posing in the terrace.  I thank the fellow visitor who photographed me here.

View of Wacker Drive and Jackson Boulevard, looking west

View looking east from the terrace, with the Chicago Board of Trade Building, topped by Ceres, appearing near the center of the photo

I finished my OHC sightseeing at 300 S. Riverside Plaza.  The glass lobby provided great views of the South Branch of the Chicago River, as did the patio just outside, right above the river's edge.

View of the Chicago River South Branch from the Jackson Boulevard Bridge

View of the river from the terrace at 300 S. Riverside Plaza

View looking north from the terrace

Close-up of Upper and Lower Wacker Drives from the terrace

Inside 300 S. Riverside Plaza in the part of the building just inside from the terrace

Once again, OHC was a great opportunity to explore Chicago (along with nearby suburbs) in a deeper way.  When I completed the OHC survey, I marked for one of the questions that OHC definitely makes me feel proud and appreciate more greatly this area where I live.  I'm glad that I could enhance my participation in the event by serving as a volunteer, which I enjoyed as much as visiting sites.

There were other OHC offerings available throughout the month of October, before and after the weekend for sightseeing.

I continued the spirit of OHC just days later, on Friday, October 22, with my friends Matthew and Roy, who came to town for the wedding of our mutual college friend Tyler.  We went exploring Chicago in a way that allowed me to show them what I appreciate most about Chicago.

Matthew met me at home in Oak Park.  Then we rode the Blue Line east, and along the way, I pointed out many different landmarks and streets, explaining their significance.  We disembarked at Washington around noon.  From there, without a set plan for the next hour, we just started wandering around, while we waited for the time to meet Roy.

We looked around in the government buildings, including the Daley Center, City Hall, and the Thompson Center.  Matthew then wondered about walking west on Randolph, and so away we went.  We ended up down by Washington Boulevard along the south side of the Boeing Center.  Then, we walked north on Wacker, where I showed him the marker for the Wigwam, site of the 1860 RNC.  That marker was right by Wolf Point, and so we crossed Lake Street and went down to the riverwalk level.

We strolled leisurely eastward along the Main Branch of the Chicago River, all the way to the lakefront area by the Chicago Lock.  It was about 1 PM, and we decided to start heading south to meet with Roy.

We wandered through Millennium Park and then went to the Washington/Wells CTA station to board a train for hte short ride south to the Roosevelt Station, which happened to be a Green Line train.  Upon meeting Roy there, we discussed our lunch plan.  After I made some suggestions, we eventually agreed on Connie's Pizza--and Roy likes stuffed pizza.

So we waited for the next Midway-bound Orange Line train, and rode it to the next stop, Halsted.  As we rode along, I was reminded of how amazing the skyline views are from the Orange Line, especially between Halsted and Roosevelt.  We could actually see Connie's from the train tracks.  Upon reaching Halsted, we detained, and then walked northeast along Archer to Connie's, arriving around 2 PM.

We got seated and soon got in our order of stuffed pizza.  Then, we enjoyed each other's company as we waited for the pizza.  I was glad that we had the chance to share a meal at an iconic Chicago restaurant.

From left to right, Roy, me, and Matthew, as we pose outside Connie's Pizza

Following our meal, I suggested going to Canal Origins Park, since it would be a short train ride, and give us plenty of time to get back to the Field Museum to meet Roy's wife Rogenique.

So we walked back to the Halsted Orange Line Station, and rode it one stop in a southwest direction to Ashland.  From there, we walked a short distance north to the park, which is in the photo directly below.  It has great views of the Chicago skyline from the spot where the South Branch of the Chicago River flows into the Sanitary and Ship Canal, which replaced the Illinois and Michigan Canal.  The people who settled Chicago tapped into the potential of the waterways, which yielded the thriving city whose skyscrapers stand prominently in view from Canal Origins Park.

We returned to the Ashland Orange Line Station and rode it to Roosevelt.  From there, we walked east to the Field Museum to meet Rogenique.  Then, we took a leisurely stroll north along the lakefront, with gorgeous views of Lake Michigan and its blue waters, and also great views of the downtown Chicago skyscrapers.

View of Lake Michigan

We walked to Buckingham Fountain, and then to the 11th Street/Museum Campus train station, where Rogenique and Roy waited for the Metra Electric train south.  Matthew and I went back to the Roosevelt CTA Station, and went down below to board the Red LIne, passing displays about Earth's geologic time, a fitting installation for the CTA station that serves the Field Museum.  Following the short ride to Jackson, we walked through the transfer tunnel to the Blue Line and were soon on our way back west to Oak Park.  After we both shared a light dinner of crock pot pork, Matthew left for his hotel.

While having lived in Chicagoland for so long has helped me appreciate what's special about it, spending the day with my friends reinvigorated and reminded me of the reasons why.  And for similar reasons, volunteering at the Nichols Tower and being part of facilitating visits there also reinvigorated me in why I regard this area so specially.

Indeed, my visit with my friends, and Open House Chicago weekend, were opportunities to connect even more with the area where I live, such as visiting various buildings and seeing their architecture up close.  It's great that OHC had such a wide variety of participating sites, which really showcases in a greater way the amazing variety of what's here.  And throughout my sightseeing, there were so many opportunities to take in great views, from up high and looking up and out, from revisiting places like the John Hancock Observatory and Canal Origins Park, and new places like the Bank of America Tower and the Nichols Tower.

Connecting with these places, and getting a closer experience with them connected me with a significant part of who I am and what kind of place it is where I have lived my life.

Here I am, inside Chicago Union Station, posing on the clock artwork on the floor, including the year of my birth.  I thank the passerby who kindly took this photo.