The Jungle

I recall my high school freshman English teacher telling me about "The Jungle".  She made the story sound so fascinating that I went to the library and pulled it out that very day. It was, without a doubt, the most incredibly depressing story I had EVER read.  It was a soap opera without escape, and the hardest thing about the story was that the issues were very real and still relevant.  I think that I was the only one to take the bait and get the book in my class, and I wrote a scathing book report about it.  My English teacher laughed at me and said that she expected to see me  standing in the center of a political rally in twenty years.  I didn't wait anywhere nearly that long. 

Going to school in Hyde Park, the one thing we all knew about was the fact that the Swift family lived there and had a mansion in Kenwood that is still the envy of . They were the most well known meat packers in the United States - when you hear the name Armour Swift Eckrich, think about the fact that food comes from Chicago, that's one reason why it's so good!  We used to pass by the Swift mansion when we had a lesson about the wealthy families of Hyde Park.

The Jungle is actually a pretty quick read because there is so much tragedy in it that you are turning the pages to see when something decent is going to happen.  There are some stretches that make you want to toss the book on the ground.  There is, however, something that keeps this book close to my heart at all times - the Food and Drug Administration.  Let me toss a quick "We missed you" out to the food inspection team that was off during the government shut down.

In The Jungle, a man is getting married in Chicago and begins working in various difficult jobs for people who speak little English and have little to no education. One of the jobs was working in the meat packing industry.  The story was written at the beginning of the previous century, and was met with extreme indignation by the establishment.  Upton Sinclair was so widely denounced, he must have felt like Clinton during his time in the White House.  Eventually, Sinclair's tome of a decadent world of capitalistic degradation and oppression caused the passage of laws that would lead to a safer food supply and better working conditions.

I encourage everyone to set aside a weekend and break out the old classic.  Some of you will become vegetarians if you never read this book before, but let me caution you that one of the most dangerous outbreaks of food poisoning recently was related to cantaloupe. Maybe we just need to concentrate on making sure all of the food is fit to eat.  I'd hate to see a world where we couldn't trust anything we put in our mouths - would you?

Don't You Quit!

Reluctantly, I went to see " Gravity" on opening weekend. 

I knew the movie had spectacular special effects and was very well received, but to be honest, I don't like movies where people are abandoned - it's too depressing.  Besides, what's going to happen in a movie where there is only one person against the world - I didn't want to go - but my cousins wanted to see it - so I went with the flow.

I must say that I am glad that I listened to them - "Gravity" is a thoroughly delightful movie, and I actually am recommending that everyone see it.  The movie has an incredible message that everyone, especially in this economy and especially young people - need to hear - it's not over 'til it's over. Don't be surprised if this movie wins "Best Picture"  I liked it that much.

In "Gravity"  Sandra Bullock is an acclaimed scientist trying to carry out an experiment in space. She's one of the best and brightest, everyone else on the crew is there to support her efforts.  The only thing is  - like being on earth, you have to deal with the situation you are in, no matter how smart you are - there's something out there that trumps you.  When I was at the Palmer House, the saying was    "Everyone has a boss.." and that's true.  For us, it was the hotel guest.  For Sandra Bullock, it was space.

In the movie, Sandra Bullock is extoling the virtues of being in the peace and quiet of space, while George Clooney blathers on endlessly about past hook-ups. He was really good in the movie, but his character was everything his public persona makes him out to be - calm, in control, analytic to the point of distraction - someone who took life in space for granted.  He had his own reason for being there, and his leadership is invaluable to the scientist.

Sandra spends her odyssey trying to control her environment, and ultimately, the fight becomes too much of a struggle as she realizes that this peace and quiet that she prized isn't all it's cracked up to be.  She also realizes a bit too late that she was really focused on doing the easy stuff well.  She sees that she doesn't really know what she is doing as she tries to survive - she doesn't even know how to pray.

The great thing about this movie is that it reminds you - or in some cases shows you, that you don't need to do anything special to pray - there aren't really any secret formulas you have to utilize - a  quick "Help a sister out" has always been effective for me.  When you think of something that had never occurred to you before - something that makes you say - "oh - is that going to work, I hadn't thought of that before" - that is generally your answer.  But whatever you do - don't ever quit! Don't keep doing the same stupid thing over and over again - it didn't work the first hundred times, and doing the same thing and expecting a different result is usually a sign of insanity.  Your answer may be just around the corner if you just center yourself and ask for what you want...


When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,

When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,

When the funds are low and the debts are high,

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit-

Rest if you must, but don't you quit. Life is queer with its twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,

And many a fellow turns about

When he might have won had he stuck it out.

Don't give up though the pace seems slow -

You may succeed with another blow. Often the goal is nearer than

It seems to a faint and faltering man;

Often the struggler has given up

When he might have captured the victor's cup;

And he learned too late when the night came down,

How close he was to the golden crown. Success is failure turned inside out -

The silver tint in the clouds of doubt,

And you never can tell how close you are,

It might be near when it seems afar;

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit -

It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

Courtesy of "Don't You Quit", an inspirational poem

Football, baby, Football!!!

When this time of year comes along, my girlfriends are usually pouting and complaining about their men and their addiction to football. This is not an issue that I have, because I've been into football since Joe Namath said the Jets were going to win the Superbowl and he was literally the ONLY thing I saw on TV for the next week. When his prediction came true, he became the football icon of the decade. I don't understand why my friends don't learn more about football – I was bombarded with it, I wanted to see what all the excitement was. My father watches football all the time – most of my friends have at least one brother, a male cousin, a father, something – how do you miss learning about sports???

It's great for your dating life – most guys expect you to grouse and act bored while watching a football game with them. Want to blow their mind? Name the players, tell them what the play should be, and call the ref's call before he does! I've thrown a few brothers into apoplexy pulling that move. First question - “You know what it means to be “off sides” ?” Yeah, I do. Second question “Who taught you about football?” My father wasn't born a principal, you know. Being the girl who enjoys a good game places you on a whole new level.

In fact, my very first boyfiend played football from Pop Warner to the Canadian League to the Seattle Seahawks. We remained good friends forever. I was once watching him play with the Seahawks and they called his name on national TV. My family was so excited, we all called one another. The guy I was with was completely dumbfounded by this – “ You're still friends with this guy???” It was a long time ago, stop tripping.

When Sullivan High School was on its way to the Chicago Public League Championship back in the day, I went to the games if Kenwood wasn't playing. Sometimes, members of Kenwood's football team went to the games too. They went to see a good game, which I can understand. So, I walk into one game with my father, and one of the players asked me “You brought your father to the game?” Actually, my father was the principal of Sullivan at the time. We came to cheer on the troops. It was incredible when they played at Soldier's field, where the Chicago Bears play. Sullivan lost to St. Laurence, but at least they went! Kenwood, well, the less said about that, the better....

I wish Loyola had a football team. As it was, we had to go up to Northwestern when we wanted to see a game, and Northwestern never won a single game when we went out there, standing in the freezing cold at Dyche, which was a stone's throw from Lake Michigan, even closer than Soldier Field. Today, I'll watch Northwestern or U of I to get my college fix. It's mostly about the pros now, so it's all about the Bears, even when it doesn't go well.

I also went to two Superbowls, and I finally had a chance to meet Joe Namath in person and tell him how he brought the game to my attention. He was very nice, took a picture with me, hugged me, the whole bit. I also met Terry Bradshaw and Roger Staubach. It is, without a doubt, the WILDEST WEEKEND on earth. Everyone should go, at least once. But pace yourself, and don't plan on hitting the ground running as soon as you return. A little down time is a requirement.

Anyway, I encourage everyone to learn about football and stop fighing it. It's a great game, even if it is admittedly disgustingly brutal, frighteningly mean spirited, and can leave players with life long disabilities. The NFL is the most profitable sports league on earth, dwarfing basketball, and baseball. It's not going anywhere, so enjoy it.