Chicago Back in the Day

Have you ever wondered what Chicago was like 60 years ago? I have to admit that, as someone who loves history, I often wonder what the Windy City looked like in the 1930s (when Nana visited the World's Fair) and 1940s (when my dad was born), but of course, don't really know.

But thanks to my friend Steve, who posted the video below on Facebook yesterday, we can all take a walk through Chicago in 1948. Notice that the Chicago Hilton and Towers was known then as the Stevens Hotel. And I'm amazed at how the Wrigley Building just stands there with blue sky in the background. Just in case you've forgotten how Solider Field is supposed to look, it's there too. Make sure you watch the second video about Chicago's nightlife in 1948. I'm quite sure it will make you giggle.

If you read Little Merry Sunshine via email, click here so you can watch the videos.

Hope, Change We Can Believe In, and Yes We Can - A Year Later

A year ago today, we all went to the polls and proudly cast our ballots for the candidate we believed in and the majority of us voted for now President Barack Obama. It was a day I'll never forget and I've documented it with a soundtrack here, "Thoughts on Hope," "I Was There When the Dream Came True," "Election Day & Night Twitter," President-Elect Barack Obama's acceptance speech, "Hope in Action," and "Post Election Gratitude."

It was a day filled with hope and promise and general good feeling. People were civil, cordial and patient. They smiled at one another. Making our way through the Chicago with millions of people on Election Night, everyone was polite, dancing in the streets, and I don't remember hearing of any violence. People from all walks of life came together to celebrate the promise of hope and change and the new day that America had woken up to. I remember a feeling of seeing the world in crisp high-def color once again, rather than the grainy monotone images of the previous 8 years.

A year later I am still filled with that hope. I don't agree with 100% of the actions President Obama has taken. He's moved a bit slower than I would have liked. I'd prefer single-payer healthcare for everyone. I think DOMA and DADT are ridiculous and hate that our country treats anyone as second-class citizens, even if it's in limited ways. I'd like Gitmo closed now and for us to be completely out of Afghanistan and Iraq. I'd like to see some action on immigration reform. I'd like some tougher regulations for Wall Street. And for certain, I wish more jobs were created yesterday and over the last 9 months and that the economy were stronger.

But change doesn't happen in an instant. The decision to make change happens in an instant, but change itself takes time. Especially when we don't live in a dictatorship. Although there are moments when I feel like screaming "Obama won, get over it, sit down, and shut up!" to the people who seem to be hate-filled, I don't. You know, they're the folks carrying guns to town hall meetings and still filing frivolous lawsuits claiming President Obama isn't a natural born citizen and spewing lies about the health care reform and claiming he wrote a thesis about his disdain for the Constitution and generally engaging in fear-mongering.

Eugene Robinson of The Washington Post has summed up the last 9 months quite nicely. The only thing I would add is that the first piece of legislation signed into law by President Obama was the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009. As a woman, I applaud this move and can only say it's about time. President Obama has made great strides in repairing America's reputation around the world and as my mom always said, "you're nothing without your reputation." No longer being the laughing stock of the world is priceless.

I still believe in hope and if I've gained anything over the last year it is a reinforced belief in my favorite quote from the Bible. "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1 (KJV). I still have a great deal of faith. Faith and hope keep me going when times are tough. And for those of us who so strongly believed in President Obama's promise, we still need to keep working, holding him accountable, and holding onto our faith. The journey didn't end just because the election did.

Crystal Beach Community Church & Me

On Sunday, Mom and I went to church at Crystal Beach Community Church. I don't attend church often and have many conflicts over what I believe religiously. For this reason, I haven't been a member of any church since I was in high school and had been confirmed at the First Presbyterian Church in Arlington Heights.

That said, I hate missing an opportunity to attend services at Crystal Beach Community Church. It just feels like home to me.

When I sit within its walls, I can feel the weight of the history of the church and my family.

My step-grandfather, Rev. C.W.A. Bredemeier was the founding minister and the first member.

My late Nana was the second member, taught Sunday School, and was the church secretary and treasurer. Nana also helped found the first CBCC Youth Fellowship, which met on Sunday nights for Bible Study at the church and every Saturday night down at former Seaside Hall for recreation and Christian fellowship. Obviously, Nana's Celebration of Life service was held at CBCC last month.

At Nana's Celebration of Life Service last month, a dozen people came up to me with the same story. "I'm a member of this church because of how your Nana greeted me and my husband 20 years ago when we first walked through the door. She invited us to sit with her and made us feel like we'd always been members." Wow. What a legacy. She will certainly live on for years and years. I felt her beside me on Sunday and as we sang her favorite hymn, "What A Friend We Have in Jesus," coincidentally one of the three hymns we sang.

Before he died in 1961, my grandfather, Jesse Paulk, also a member, taught Adult Sunday School, and sang in the choir. When he died in 1961, Nana brought all the money to the church that was donated to the family, saying "Jesse had been wanting us to start a Pew Fund so that we would have pews instead of the wooden folding Army chairs to sit on. Here is the money to buy the first pew." From that beginning, the church raised enough money to buy pews for the entire church and both choir lofts. Plus, there was enough money left over to have the church walls & concrete floor re-painted, as well as to build the current alter and lecterns, communion table and the tall wooden candle holders, all of which were designed by my step-grandfather and founding pastor, Rev. C.W.A. Bredemeier.

My mom sang in the choir, attended Sunday School and the Youth Fellowship Group, and was even married at CBCC to my dad in 1970 by Rev. Bredemeier.

I was baptized at CBCC by my step-grandfather Rev. Bredemeier on September 12, 1971, my mom's birthday, the anniversary of my grandfather's death, and just weeks after Rev. Bredemeier and Nana were married in the church . When I was a kid, I used to go over to the church and sit with the woman who was responsible for the chimes being played every night at 5:45 and could be heard all up and down the beach. Each night, she'd let me play the organ and let me believe that my playing was being heard throughout Crystal Beach, What I only learned last month is that the chimes had been automated since long before my days of playing them, so only the organist and I heard my "music."

No matter where I go, what I do, or even what my current internal struggle with religion, CBCC always feels like home and when I'm in Crystal Beach I have to go to church.

Mrs. Paulk Goes to Washington

About 10:30 this morning, I received one of those dreaded phone calls. It was from my mom and she was calling to tell me that something happened with Nana last night and she wasn't expected to live through the week. My mom gave me the details of what happened with Nana, but all I heard was "Nana is dying," so I can't explain to you what my mom told me.

Many of you know about my Nana and know about the long ordeal we've had with her over the last 7 years. Newer readers of LMS probably don't know about my Nana. Frances Paulk is my maternal grandmother, my heroine, and my rock and it breaks my heart into 10 million pieces seeing her suffer. You can read more about her in these blog posts.

After I spoke with mom and wiped the tears from my face, I spent most of my day feeling numb. I also got to thinking about some of my favorite memories with Nana.

In the fall of 1994, my uncle graduated from medical school in upstate New York. On her return flight to Florida, Nana had an hour layover in DC, where I'd been living for almost 18 months. Because Washington National Airport (now Reagan National Airport, UGH!) was just a few Metro stops from my office, I suggested that I meet Nana during my lunch hour. And then I had one of my most brilliant ideas.

Almost 80 years old, Nana had never visited Washington DC. As a surprise, I called the airline and arranged to have her layover changed from an hour to four hours. In retrospect, I'm not sure how she didn't know about this change, but when I met her at the gate and let her know of the change of plans, she sure did act surprised. We were going to use her layover to tour DC.

We hopped on the Metro (DC's subway) and rode it across the Potomac River and back into the District. Getting off directly under my office building, our first stop was my office at Hogan & Hartson. As we walked into the lobby and into my office (not a cubicle), she beamed with pride. Because I had just gotten a promotion, I had also just received my first business card. I gave her one that day and she carried it in her wallet until she stopped carrying a wallet.

We left my office and took a cab to my apartment. Although it was only about 6 or 7 blocks away, this was further than I thought she could easily walk and didn't want to spend our precious time walking. I wanted her to see as much of DC as possible in the short amount of time we had. It was from the window of my apartment that she first saw the Capitol and that was the first of many times that day she would say to me "In all my years, I never thought I'd see DC. I read about it in history books, but I never thought I'd walk in the city where George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abe Lincoln walked."

We grabbed another cab and I explained to the driver that my Nana had never visited DC before and that before he took us back to Washington National, I wanted him to show us everything. As luck would have it, he was a fountain of knowledge and eagerly drove us from my apartment to the Capitol, past the National Mall, to the Washington Monument, down Constitution Avenue to the Lincoln Memorial, up to National Cathedral, down Massachusetts Avenue past Embassy Row, down 16th Street to Pennsylvania Avenue and slowly in front of the White House, over to the Jefferson Memorial, across the 14th Street Bridge and the Potomac River, to the George Washington Parkway and to the airport.

The whole way, Nana sat with her face glued to the cab window taking in the sites not knowing if she'd ever return to the District. The only words she was able to speak were "I never thought I'd see Washington." When she finally emerged from the cab at National Airport, I saw for the first time, the tears of joy in her eyes. Her emotions were obvious and she didn't need to tell me how much she loved that afternoon, although I certainly knew.

That Christmas, I surprised her with one of those Washington DC coffee table books with beautiful pictures of all the sights we saw that afternoon. It was her favorite gift that year and it was certainly my favorite gift that I gave that year. One of the things I loved most about her was her memory. Even though she'd only seen it all once in person, she narrated the entire book to the entire family that Christmas afternoon.

I can't begin to count the number of times I heard her recount that day and how proud she was to be touring Washington with me. The thing is, I'm not sure who was prouder that day, her or me.

I don't know what tomorrow will bring. I do know that they're running some tests tonight and we should know more soon. I don't know if she really only has about a week left or if I'll blow out the candles on her 93rd birthday cake with her in July.

Part 2 tomorrow.

National Memorial Day Concert

I arrived in Washington, DC over Memorial Day Weekend in 1993, just in time to walk over to the west lawn of the Capitol and watch the annual National Memorial Day Concert that is shown live on PBS. I have no idea which artists performed, but I remember standing the middle of 100,000 of my closest friends on the Capitol steps and having my breath taken away as I watched the sun set behind the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, and into the Potomac River.

There were (and still remain) no words to describe the emotions I felt and feel welling up inside me as I write about these memories now. I stood there thinking about the history that had taken place in this city, the slave hands that built the Capitol, the people who gave their lives all around the world so I could be standing there, and the visionaries who birthed our country. I was in love.

Over the course of that summer, I walked over to the Capitol and watched the sunset many nights. My temporary home was less than two blocks away and I would either grab my girlfriends Jessica and Jennifer for an after-dinner walk or I'd go alone. Either way, I walked around the Supreme Court Building, down to the Library of Congress, around the Capitol, and finally back to Thompson-Markward Hall. With sites like that, it's no wonder I get bored just walking around my neighborhood for exercise now!

For the next 7 years, I never missed a Memorial Day Concert from the Capitol. I usually grabbed a few friends and we picnicked on the lawn, but once or twice I went alone. Each year, Nana would watch from her living room in Crystal Beach, Florida, and then call and insist she saw me on TV. I always pretended to believe her.

Now that I live in Chicago again, if I don't have plans for Sunday evening of Memorial Day Weekend, I'm always glued to my TV and PBS, watching the National Memorial Day Concert. Tonight is the 20th anniversary of the concert and it starts at 8pm ET (7pm CT). Click here for all the details. I'll be watching.

We Have Come So Far

In 1788, the Constitution was ratified saying African-Americans were only 3/5 of a person.

The White House and the U.S. Capitol were built by slaves.

With the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks refused to move to the back of the bus.

On August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke of his dreams, which he was unable to see realized thanks to a gunman in 1968.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 insured that everyone's right to vote was forever protected.

Today, January 20, 2009, we inaugurate Barack Obama as our country's first African American President.

In the last episode of the The West Wing, Keb Mo sings America The Beautiful. Even though this isn't the video of Keb Mo singing it at the inauguration of Matthew Santos, it still fits perfectly with today.



It took us too many years to get to this place, but we are here and from this day forward, every child in America can grow up believing that he or she can become President.

Happy Inauguration Day!

I slept for maybe 45 minutes last night because I was giddy with anticipation of all that today brings.

In 1997, when I was in DC, I got up on January 20th, drove (with ease, as opposed to what it was like this morning trying to get into the District) into the District from Alexandria, VA where I lived, parked in my office building's garage, and walked over to the Capitol with my friend Sue where we watched President Bill Clinton take the oath for his second term as President. It was a cold, gray day, but the excitement was palpable. As we stood on the West Lawn, I remember it was crowded, but nothing like the pictures of today.

After President Clinton was sworn in, we walked back down Pennsylvania Avenue to find seats for the parade and hung out for a couple of hours.

That night Kelly and I spent at the Western States Inaugural Ball at the Hilton Washington (where Reagan was shot) working in the Green Room and hobnobbing with the celebrities - Joe Walsh from the Eagles, Stevie Wonder, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Thelonious Monk Jr. and Jimmy Smits, to name just a few. I remember when Jimmy Smits came in, I looked at Kelly and we decided we had to ask him to if we could have a picture. Frankly, it might not have been the coolest thing to do that night, but we had to ask. Graciously, he agreed.

Kelly, Jimmy Smits, and Me at the Western States Inaugural Ball, January 20, 1997

We had a great time that night and saw President and Mrs. Clinton. Without a doubt, it was a night I'll never forget.

But today is different. The feelings are different. The world is different.

It's no secret that I am no fan of President Bush (oh look - he's leaving in less than 90 minutes and I can finally refer to him as "President" without throwing up a little!) and I still believe that the 2000 election was stolen. Don't argue with me on this because you will never convince me. I wish he'd never been president to be sure. But I wonder if this day wouldn't be possible if the last 8 years hadn't happened.

Wouldn't it be ironic if the worst U.S. President's legacy was making it possible for the first African-American President to be elected? And then if that man, Barack Obama, turned out to be the greatest U.S. President ever? That may well be Bush's legacy and if it is, I suppose the old adage about it being darkest before the dawn is said for a reason.

Today's Favorite Picture

This is my favorite picture today.

I happened to flip on CNN as President-elect Barack Obama's plane was landing at Andrews Air Force Base just outside Washington DC. While the plane that was used is not Air Force One, CNN mentioned that this is the first time a President-elect has flown on a plane from the fleet of planes available to be used as the back-up for Air Force One.

Although I was in Grant Park on Election Night and it was very emotional for me, I think seeing President-elect Obama arriving in DC tonight and departing the plane with the Presidential Seal behind him was the first time it really sunk in that Barack Obama is about to become our President. I actually shed a tear and can only imagine I'll be a basketcase on January 20th.

Piece of History

This is the actual letter of resignation submitted by Senator Barack Obama to Governor Blagovich.

Obama's Trip to the White House as President-Elect

This afternoon Barack and Michelle Obama will walk through the front door of the White House as the President-Elect and incoming First Lady for a meeting with President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush.

Under normal presidential transitions, this is a big deal. But today's meeting is extraordinary. The White House, of course, was built by slaves. And much of the staff is African-American. Just 216 years after construction started (too many in my opinion), an African-American man will walk through the front door as the next leader of our country.

What would the ghosts of the slaves who built the White House say today if they could speak?

To be a fly on the wall for that moment of history.

Hope in Action

After last night's incredible victory and given what a huge political junkie I am, I attempted to be quick to get a newspaper this morning. But evidently, 1:30 in the afternoon isn't quite fast enough on a day as historic as this. I settled for a lone copy of the Daily Herald, but I wanted two issues of the Tribune.

About 90 minutes later I was at the grocery store and as I was leaving, I remembered I wanted to see if they had any Tribunes. I walked by the stand and encountered a young African-American woman with her young daughter in tow, obviously on the same mission. We both left disappointed.

Walking to my car, I discovered she was parked 2 cars down from me. She opened her car door to put her daughter inside and I called out and walked toward her. When she turned around, I told her I had a Daily Herald at home and wanted her to have it. At first, she protested saying that she wanted the souvenier, not something to borrow. Of course, I knew exactly what she wanted and knew she had to have it. I explained that my intent was for her to keep it for her daughter.

We stood and talked for about 5 minutes. She told me how last night was for her daughter's generation and got her out of the car so I could see her homemade Obama t-shirt. She shared how proud her daughter was to go to school today in the shirt knowing that the new President was like her.

Then she wanted to know why I wanted her to have it and I was initially stumped. Truthfully, I offered it without thinking. But the fact is that I have so much presidential paraphanalia, I don't need it. And last night wasn't about me. It was about her daughter. And with the newspaper, she can look at that everyday for the rest of her life and know that anything is possible and if she wants to be President, she can. Until last night, she didn't know that was truly possible.

Standing there in the Jewel parking lot, the woman cried. And so did I.

Go Cubs Go!

The National League Playoffs start today and in honor of the Cubs, here's some motivational music . . .



As a kind of cool aside, Steve Goodman who wrote Go Cubs Go, went to Lake Forest College, my alma mater, as I've previously written about.

Those Damn Community Organizers

Ever since I heard Candy Crowley on CNN report the line about Community Organizers from an early copy of Palin's speech released to the press yesterday afternoon, I have been completely incensed.

I had to resist the urge not to throw things at my TV last night when she actually said it. My only saving grace was that I didn't want to punish myself by breaking my TV.

This morning, FranIam wrote a great post about how difficult it is for her to remain positive this morning in light of that speech. I gotta give FranIam kudos, she's really working hard to resist the urge to reach into the muck that the GOP is spouting.

In her post, Fran also asked for the opinions of her readers and what we thought of the speech. I commented about the community organizing line and I can't stop thinking about that comment.

Here's my comment:

I was over-the-top offended by many parts of her speech, but the line that will stay with me forever was the line that in 1 sentence managed to insult every volunteer helping those less fortunate in America:

"I guess being mayor of a small town is kinda like being a community organizer, except I had responsibilities."

Volunteers who help people with no voice have responsibilities too. Those responsibilities may not come in the form of municipal code, but they're a code from a much higher power - our conscious. The responsibilities of volunteers come from that place deep in our souls that won't allow us to ignore the poor, weak and the suffering. As far as I'm concerned, that's the highest calling there is and the most important responsibility we have as humans.

If not for those "community organizers" you clearly hate so much, would the
"community" previously known as the 13 Colonies have come together and risen up
against England? What do you think the Founding Fathers were? They weren't born
with that title. They were fucking COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS.

Oh, and that work you did on the PTA . . . THAT was Community Organizing too.

And all that GOTV stuff that goes on around election day? Community Organizing.

Rallying a group of volunteers to send care packages to the troops in Iraq, including your uber-patriotic son, Track? Community Organizing.

I could go on.

To paraphrase Lloyd Bentsen, "Governor, I know community organizers. I've
worked with them. They're friends of mine. Governor, you're no Community
Organizer."

Here's a few more things that occurred to me a few minutes ago (when I really should be focused on work) . . .

I guess you're gonna have to give up your relationship with Christianity, Sarah. Your messiah, Jesus Christ, was also a Community Organizer. He had no "responsibilities," except the ones to God and the rest of humankind.

You know your cute hubby, Todd Palin, the First Dude? You love to talk about how he's a union member. Do you know who started unions? Community Organizers.

And one more thing Sarah Palin, you know those women who came together in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries to fight for women's suffrage and ultimately made it possible for the likes of you to be standing at the GOP Convention and (God help us) a candidate for Vice President in 2008? You know those women, right? Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Alice Paul, Carrie Chapman Catt, Lucy Stone, Julia Ward Howe, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Lucretia Mott, Jane Addams, Helen Kendrick Johnson, Jeannette Rankin, Alice Duer Miller, M. Carey Thomas, Isabella Beecher Hooker, Olympia Brown, Maud Younger, Caroline Severence, and many many more.

They were ALL Community Organizers.

Before you go dissing Community Organizers with a cute, yet shrill (yep, I said it) sound bite, maybe you should think for a moment who fought for your rights and exactly how it is you are able to be where you are today.

In case you're unaware Sarah, Ordinary People CAN Change the World. The fact is, they usually do.

Community Organizers, Sarah. It all starts with Community Organizers.

45 Years Ago Today

Today is the 45th anniversary of the historic "I Have A Dream" speech by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.



As a nation we have come light years from 1963. Nominating Barack Obama as the Democratic Candidate for President of the United States yesterday was proof of that. And it's only fitting that tonight Obama accepts the nomination. I have faith that his speech will live up to the expectations and that Dr. King is celebrating in Heaven.

Now let's fulfill Dr. King's dream and work to elect Barak Obama our first African-American President in November. Yes We Can!

20 Years Ago: The Night the Lights Went On at Wrigley

It's not often that Dave and I are present for truly historical moments, but we were there the night the lights went on at Wrigley.

Joan Green, a lifelong Cubs fan, took us, along with her son, Bill, to the game on August 9th, 1988, which thanks to Mother Nature, was the first official night game at Wrigley Field. I don't remember exactly where we sat, although my gut says it was the Bleachers. We always sat in the Bleachers.

As everyone knows, Wrigley Field did not have lights, which meant that all their games were played during the day. This made Wrigley unique among Major League parks, as they had all installed lights many years earlier. But Wrigley was the sole hold-out because the area residents, and Wrigley is set in the heart of the residential Lakeview neighborhood, and the City of Chicago would not allow them.

Because of the daytime only games, the Cubs couldn't host the All-Star Game, which they wanted to do.

After many protests and negotiations, the Chicago City Council finally allowed a very limited number of night games and lights were installed and some believe defiled the beauty of Wrigley.


The first night game was set for August 8th, but Mother Nature had other plans and the game was rained out after 3 1/2 innings and the Cubs leading the Phillies 3-1. So the August 9th game against the Mets became the official first game and we just happened to be there (and the Cubs won 6-4!).

Thanks Joan! We love you and still miss you everyday, but cherish all the wonderful memories you gave us.

Here's a cool retrospective video.

Enjoy.