Up, Down and Around Our Town

To say the least, it has been one heck of a week. Highlights and lowlights, but the boredom factor just cannot be measured.

The Congress passed the biggest handout of taxpayer money certainly in my lifetime. Even though the ultimate package certainly was anything but appropriate, it nevertheless appeared to be necessary. Chalk one up for greed. Again.

Sarah Palin stood her ground on Thursday night in St. Louis. Perhaps this "Ms. Smith Goes to Washington" thing might work. Perhaps not. There has to be some substance somewhere.

O.J. Simpson was found guilty for a crime he committed ten years ago. He just happened to be in another courtroom for a lesser crime he did a year ago. Justice delayed is still justice received. Perhaps.

The American heartland was heard, at least a little bit, when they realized that there was seemingly no safe place to park their dollars. Plus, those who had played by the rules, paid their bills and supported their communities were trumped by those who did the opposite. And were rewarded for their efforts.

And for the 101st year, those loveable Cubbies tanked in the playoffs. It was as if they never decided to even show up. Even the patience of a Cub fan will somehow be tested. And this time, no Goat, no Bartman, no Murphy. This time they decided to pitch poorly, not hit at all and kick the ball around. The blame is now universal.

I listened to a veteran educator who was responsible for the construction on a new high school some 30 years ago. I heard him talk of retiring in Harry Truman's hometown and capturing, as an educator, that sense of history. All matter of fact until he started reminscing about his coach - Bill Herington - when he started to tear up. Investment received. The young people both heard and witnessed the power of leadership.

The Missouri Tigers erased 30 years of futility in Lincoln, Nebraska. Left no doubt about it either. Look for Tom Osborne to be back on the sidelines soon.

Getting to see old friends on a sunswept gorgeous fall day at the Harvard on the Hill's Homecoming just gets sweeter every year. The young people are a great testimony for futures yet to be written. Getting to hear histories that have been spectacular is a wonderful payoff. And say what you want, there is nothing better than a 90 minute parade. Between the floats, the bands and the flying candy, it sets the tone for smiles and a sense of things falling into place. Plus, the barbecue being consumed while watching the football game is just hard to beat in anyone's world.

I got to see the pride of a grandson being a part of a dedication for his late Grandfather. Watching that young man react to the good works of Tom Hartigan was priceless. Hearing his widow, Mary, bask in that glow simply sealed the deal. Honoring those who have paved the way is both a responsibility and a value. History never lies; it just gets reinterpreted. This one will never change. Because, if we hadn't already had a Tom Hartigan, we would have invented one. Luckily, that didn't occur.

In less than a month, we will have elected a new President. The mud is flying, the accusations are stinging and the real items that are on most people's minds continue to be pushed to the back of the agenda. The doubts and the apprehension of the American voter is at an all-time high. What will the next 30 days bring?

Will the credit crunch rob us of Halloween? Can we survive without candy corn? I hope we never have to find that one out.

My hero's smile now lights up the entire room and our entire world. Seeing that up close and personal cannot be measured. And, speaking of wonderful achievements, my gorgeous and seemingly never-aging bride finished her first 5K run. While an aching hip and a blister or two may be the tangible rewards, the pride of doing such never gets old. OK, for this week, make that two heroes.

While we also recognized that "staying up late" took us to the 11:00 hour, the reunion with so many allowed for some nice perspectives. That's the joy of connecting to the bigger world from time to time. We'll do it again next week, so till then, and as always, I remain....