Chiming in to make Naperville better
Every day I count my blessings for my childhood in the Midwest when summertime seemed simpler - and all us neighborhood kids awakened every morning to create our own fun.
Yet at age 17, I was eager to leave Muncie, Ind., for college and to see America. Twenty-five years later while living back East, I yearned to return to my Midwestern roots. Plus, I hoped our three children could connect more often with my folks.
Attracted by my brother in Glen Ellyn and my cousin in Naperville, we settled here in 1993.
About seven months ago, I wrote about our annual Mitchell Family Thanksgiving reunion at Ross Camp near Purdue when, for the first time, we played music with hand-cut pipe chimes, crafted from steel electrical conduit by my uncle and my dad.
After the experience where anyone who could read numbers could play, I told my dad all I wanted for Christmas was a set of chimes. And, as always - except for the year I asked for a horse - my dad filled my Christmas list.
In recent months I've introduced the chimes to different groups, sometimes to hesitation, but always to moments of treasured teamwork and delight when the song is finished.
For starters, I taught the Rotary Club of Naperville/Downtown "You're a Grand Old Flag," the song our service club selected to sing every week following the Pledge of Allegiance.
After a couple weeks President Jim Boyajian requested we expand our repertoire, so I numbered music boards for "Yankee Doodle" and "Take Me Out to the Ball Game."
I now keep the set of chimes handy in my trunk.
The Healing Field of Honor, hosted by the Exchange Club of Naperville in collaboration with the Naperville Park District, will feature 2009 American flags displayed on Rotary Hill during Veterans Day week, Nov. 8-14.
After a recent committee meeting, the group also played "You're a Grand Old Flag." Appropriate, huh?
As an aside, supporters are sought to participate in this patriotic tribute, dedicated to help Operation Support Our Troops - Illinois raise funds for a Fisher House at Hines VA Hospital. Order forms for a "Made in America" flag ($30) are available at park district administrative offices and online at www.healingfield.org.
Then Jim O'Donnell of the Naperville Evening Kwanis invited me to speak about my business of promoting service clubs and events. On a recent Monday, I traipsed into their meeting at the Edward Hospital Education Center with my box of chimes and music boards.
After my talk, President Steve Robillard and program chairman Dick Nelson distributed the chimes. And the joyful service club that tallied more than 11,000 volunteer hours in 2008 also performed "You're a Grand Old Flag."
"- We appreciate that you give such good press to volunteerism in Naperville," Nelson e-mailed the next day. "Everyone seemed to enjoy the hand chimes - especially since we are a very 'hands on' group."
There's more.
In late May, Liz Zienty, a member of the Rotary Club of Naperville, visited our downtown club to take reservations for The Pursuit of Life Scholarship Awards ceremony she was coordinating for Naperville's four Rotary clubs. After we charmed her with our chiming, she invited us to perform the closing song at the breakfast slated for June 4 at The Pavilion of Meson Sabika.
So the following week, after 21 well-accomplished and deserving scholarship recipients were recognized, we took our patriotic music to the stage.
We were short one pipe hitter, so Jon Ripsky's daughter, Jamie Ripsky, played No. 8, the busiest chime in the song. "15, 12. 8, 8, 8-" When we finished, I had chills.
Naperville Rotary scholarships are funded by a number of philanthropic endeavors.
For one, on July 19, Rotary/Downtown will throw its second annual Night at the Ballpark with the DuPage Dragons at the Sports Complex at Benedictine University. For information, visit www.dupagedragons.com and click on "Community, Fundraising Event."
Final note: In today's complicated world where high-tech rules, I'm reminded how much I crave learning the basics. While trying to comprehend trillions, I cherish individuals who give me their two-cents.
During Sunday's Flag Day ceremony at Moser Tower, Rotary Hill was alive with patriotic poetry and the sound of music from the carillon. When I returned home, I put numbers to notes of a Rodgers and Hammerstein hit to play with the chimes.
"I simply remember my favorite things and then I don't feel so bad."