A day to remember the whole story of life in the suburbs
“You know what the news is,” to recall the late great Paul Harvey. “Now, you'll hear (pause) the rest of the story.”
Actually, these chapters from the story of the suburbs have been in the news, sometimes even on the front page, but too often we can let politics, crime or our anger over being X-rayed at O'Hare overshadow them. On Thanksgiving Day, let's look back to see how the newspaper, even in just one simple week, highlights the blessings of life alongside its hardships.
Seasonal good deeds are a natural source of news this time of year and among the activities that made the paper this week were the efforts of the Hope Lutheran Church in Long Grove that enabled 26 suburban families to have a traditional Thanksgiving, a drive by Antioch Lions Club members to deliver food boxes to local families and numerous other acts of kindness to kick off the season of giving.
Other blessings take different forms, though, and have nothing to do with the time of year. Sometimes, they even emerge from the very hardships that could otherwise make the news pages a very dreary environment. Consider Erin Merryn, for example, a 25-year-old Schaumburg woman who reacted against the sexual abuse she endured as a child to help develop legislation that will give Illinois children better tools to resist people who would take advantage of them.
And consider, too, the act from an oft-scorned profession that of state lawmaker that enabled Erin to present her testimony. As the committee scheduled to hear her was about to adjourn because its allotted hour had been taken up with another topic, state Rep. Jerry Mitchell, a Rock Falls Republican, grabbed a microphone and, in his words, “threw a temper tantrum” to get the committee to give Erin her time. When she finished, the entire committee asked to be included on the legislation as co-sponsors and the bill passed the House 110-0 the next day. Merryn's work, by the way, followed on the heels of staff writer Kerry Lester's series about another determined young woman, Hannah Perryman of Streamwood, who turned her own stalking nightmare into stronger protections for victims like her.
The tragic death in Afghanistan of Arlington Heights Marine James Bray Stack was a blow to the suburbs, certainly, but the outpouring of love and gratitude that overwhelmed several suburban communities reminds us of the appreciation for sacrifices like his and those of his family that unites us as Americans and as suburbanites. A few days later, the chilling firsthand account of a firefight from Lombard soldier Lt. Matthew Spartz showed us again the bravery and determination of the young men and women serving their country in the most difficult of circumstances.
Other acts, of course, are not nearly so dramatic, though they can have a profound effect on our identity. Daily Herald film critic Dann Gire, for instance, told last week of Ann Stewart of Barrington who, at 79 years old, has opened one of the most ambitious musical stage productions “Jekyll and Hyde” at the Cutting Hall Performing Arts Center in Palatine of a long and storied musical career in the suburbs.
And, of course, some good news is simply sweet. In that spirit, columnist Dave Heun told Fox Valley readers about Skippy, a Cairn terrier who will compete next week in Los Angeles at the American Kennel Club's Agility Invitational. Skippy is owned, by the way, by Shell Lewis of Geneva, who manages adoptions for Cairn Rescue USA.
So, yes, you know the newspaper is filled with drama, disaster and heartache, but on this day of blessing counting, it's also good to pause and remember the honor, virtue and just plain sweetness that completes the rest of the story.
Jim Slusher, jslusher@dailyherald.com, is an assistant managing editor at the Daily Herald.