When asked, "where did you grow up?" my reply is always, "Streator, Illinois."
And to you, my classmates, this WILL explain all other things. Started working there for my father at the golf course young - shagging golf balls, cleaning golf clubs, cleaning golf ball. Newspaper delivery boy beginning in 3rd grade (1959). Greg Williams and Billy Cox bet I wouldn't make it a month. I didn't. Delivered up until the week we left in 1964. Made a TON of money, about $8.50 each week. Spent $0.40 on a burger, fries, coke, another $0.20 on two pin ball games (at which I still SUCK), and then $0.25 per week for five packs of baseball cards. Paid my brother $0.35 each week for doing one-third of the route six days a week, and he was the richest 3rd grader around. think I game $0.25 to church (hardly tithing, but ...) and banked about $7.00 each week. At Christmas time, thanks to the generosity of my clients, I'd pick up another $50.00. Monster bucks.
So, I learned the value of industry and hard work young. And honesty. And of a good education. When we moved to Barrington, they stuck me in 7th grade French, and the second highest tier of math. It was like I had flunked. So, I go to school a half-hour early to catch up on French, and by 2nd quarter I had been promoted into the top Math class - UICSM; University of Illinois Chicao Something Math.
Played hard in Streator. Softball games went on from just about dawn until dusk. A ball hit into old man Partridge's evergreen row was an automatic out, and when we had 7 or less players a side, right field was automatic out (which probably shortened the games by a LOT). YMCA Basketball in the Winter, I remember walking to the games in the frigid cold. Started B-Ball in 4th grade, the same grade I started playing French Horn in the elementary school band. The team we had in 4th grade had a lot of good players on it, but there was a lot of talent around the league. In 5th and 6th grades, I was the sixth man. But, in 7th grade, I took an attitude, and commandeered the off guard position, with Marty Reibert, Dave Raymond was our center, Louie Oliver and a real tall guy were our forwards. We went undefeated in the regular season, and made it to the finals of the playoffs. But we were seeded second? Lucy, you got some splainin' to do! We played the other Lutheran team. And we WON 17-16. I even scored four points (well above my average) making one basket, and two out of three free throws! Some moments, you just have to savor.
Of course, with dad as the golf professional at the country club, we kids could swim, and we did. Developed a very very dark tan. How dark? When we moved to Barrington, that first summer, Paul Giangrossi, and Italian kid, and no pale face himself, asked me if I was a negro. "No," I said, but, as things have come to pass, I would rather say yes. I'd be proud of being black. Being white is just a terminal condition you're born into.
Honesty, the virtue of.
Hard work, the virtue of.
Hard play, the pure enjoyment of.
Bicycle riding, had a lot to do with honesty (if mom asked, you had to be honest, well, maybe you could skirt the issue some) hard work (climbing that road over the train tracks required concentration and a real effort .. BUT ... you got to fly as if you were shot out of a gun going down the other side! I fell off my bike going down hill one time, scraped my knee, it scarred up, and the scar has never gone away ... just as Streator and my classmates, and our memories have never gone away ... a beautiful, sustaining scar ... on my heart, my mind, my soul.
May the Lord continue to bless us ALL.
May the joy and spirit of the Advent Season be upon us, and reside within US.
God Bless You All.
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