I’ve lived in Colorado a long, long time. Still, when people ask where I'm from, I reply 'Illinois.' I like Illinois as much as I like Colorado. My dream job – had I finished Seminary – was
to be a chaplain at Northwestern Memorial, Lurie Children’s Hospital or The
Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.
If President Obama were to meet me and find out I was from DuPage County, he'd likely remark: ‘I bet you root for the Cubs.' And he would be right. When I was a kindergartener, I watched
the Cubs on a black and white TV with my maternal great grandfather. When I got bigger, I went to games at Wrigley
Field with my paternal grandfather.
I love the Chicago Cubs. Wrigley
Field is an incredible place to watch baseball. On the rare
occasion that I eat red meat, it’s because I am craving a Chicago Dog. Ernie Banks, who died of a heart attack January
23, 2015, is my favorite baseball player of all time.
The first 500+ page book I read was Banks’ biography, Mr. Cub.
While Banks' statistics certainly were impressive, I was as impressed with his peaceful, positive demeanor as I was the 500+ home runs he hit. My mom volunteered for several non-profits that served special needs kids.
As such, I had the opportunity to meet a number of well-known
Chicagoans. Unfortunately, I never met
Mr. Banks.
Do you have a Wrigley Field rubber stamp? I bet not.