This is the final chapter in my meanderings. It’s time to make space for a new voice here at the Review. Perhaps you might try out as our next columnist.
Nearly a decade ago, when Bob Sullivan highlighted decades of Forest Park history and Jackie Schultz scrambled into the office to give her Talk of the Town, our editor at the time, Jean Lotus, asked me if I could submit a column to the Review. She was looking for a monthly contributor and after being denied by a few other people, she asked me.
I figured I could do it for maybe three months and now, a hundred columns later … and nearly a decade of third-week-of-the-month opinions … I am ready to pass this torch.
Jean gave me no rules, just write something every month. I created my own parameters:
1. Must be about or related to Forest Park.
2. Be positive, no matter the topic, no matter how angry I am
3. Always use alliteration.
While this column has always had a Forest Park touch, the other rules have been broken a few times.
Right now the tornado siren, in what sounds like Berwyn, has ended and the one possibly in North Riverside is sounding. It feels like a fitting end to this monthly column, and reminds me of the time I wrote as my basement filled with flood water.
The Forest Park siren is very close to my house and has not sounded yet. I like to imagine that Rory Hoskins himself braves the weather to crank the alarm. I have no idea who or how the alarm system decision tree works, and would appreciate knowing. If you know the answer, maybe you can write about it here next month.
Over the years I’ve reminisced about just doing your job, snow plows, my dog’s death, a conspiracy theory about spray bottles, the Pledge of Allegiance, casket races, disdain for morning glories and love of joe pye weed. So the bar is not very high. If you are thinking maybe you have an opinion column in you the third week of the month, just give it a whirl.
Forest Parkers are mostly lovely and kind, and they will tell you how much they love your column or tell you to really let loose or be more direct. There might be one sticky one who says they hate you on a survey but someone else might say they tucked your column in their wallet or that you made them laugh or cry.
I have asked a few brilliant people in town whom I would delight in reading, even just one time as a guest, but have struck out. So I am asking here, and stepping back to make space for a new voice to grace these pages.
If you are available this Saturday, come to the Garden Walk. My garden is one of the stops and I am so excited and nervous to have people come to see it. I promise to only share my opinion about my garden and only if you ask, but I would appreciate hearing your opinion.
Perhaps you might have an opinion about a few other things and will be willing to share it here, the third week of August.