A pair of writers from the memoir-writing classes I lead for The Village Chicago appeared on the national NBC Nightly News broadcast last weekend. Bruce and Anne Hunt started taking memoir-writing classes with me years ago, and now they’re taking singing lessons, too.

My friend Colleen and I went to their choir’s holiday concert in December, and I am over the moon that NBC saw fit to share the story of this amazing group of singers with the nation last week. I’ll let Bruce explain.

Good Memories

by Bruce Hunt

Except for those spontaneous protest songs in the sixties, neither of us has sung in a choir since high school. But when Anne was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in April of 2016, we wanted to do all we could to hold off the advancement of the cruel illness.

You can watch the NBC News segment that features Anne and Bruce Hunt online.

We read about it. We studied the research. We joined support groups at the Alzheimer’s Association, and we started singing with the Good Memories Choir — a musical group made up of folks with early stages of memory loss, their care partners and volunteers who want to make a contribution.

We practice every Tuesday at 9:30 in the morning, and each rehearsal begins when the choir stands (as we are able) for a rousing rendition of “Oh What a Beautiful Morning.” We move so as to demonstrate that the corn is as high as an elephant’s eye, and the sound really is rich. That’s how we get started.

Anne and I had heard that learning a new skill was good discipline for people 65 and better, and we’d also heard that music has a remarkable impact on brain functioning. What we did not expect was how much fun it would be to sing with thirty or so new colleagues, nor did we realize what hard work it would be to practice for one and a half hours every week.

But Jonathan Miller, our choirmaster, and his wife Sandy establish a climate that is joyful and upbeat. And guess what? Anne and I turned out to be more capable singers than we thought we were. The spirit of the choir and the Millers’ leadership come through in this brief excerpt from the NBC Nightly news.

In addition to the choir, we have some other resources going for us. We have been married for 62 years and we have navigated some pretty rough terrain along the way. We have three daughters and five grandchildren who have all signed on to be part of the care team. In fact we have a whole Village (The Village Chicago) surrounding us as a community of support.

For years we have been part of Beth Finke’s memoir writing class, sponsored by Village Chicago, which means we have captured our experience; we have recorded our unique history.

When we were in separate writing groups responding to the same prompts, Beth once said of us: “It was like listening to a love story in stereo.” We treasure that image.

Now we understand our mission, our present calling: to tell our story, to demystify Alzheimer’s, to demonstrate as best we can for as long as we can that there is life beyond the initial diagnosis. For us, the notion of living one day at a time takes on fresh meaning, not that we quit planning, but that we do seize the day we have been given, avoid regret over past opportunities missed, or fantasizing about impossible futures. We try to be present for each other and for others in our world.

Right now, music is key. We are committed to the weekly practice, and we are driving toward the next big concert in May.

Well folks, it’s Presidents Day, and—who knew—it’s also National Drink Wine Day. Not that we need an excuse to have a glass when we need to do whatever it takes to quell our anxiety during this grave time of national emergency.

Anyway, today, I got nothing except a couple or three links that are worth sharing, in my humble opinion.

First, I was inspired by New Yorkers’ successful effort to say “No” to Amazon. I only hope Chicago doesn’t somehow “win” some part of the foiled plans. Look, economic development is good. Foolhardy giveaways by localities in a race to the bottom isn’t. States and municipalities have got to learn that game is hollow. Apparently, Wisconsin will likely learn that the hard way as the realities of it’s Foxconn boondoggle play out. (Foxconn is the electronics giant that Wisconsin has more or less bribed into locating a plant—err—something in southeastern Wisconsin just over the Illinois border.)

Here are two good cautionary pieces that should make plain that anyone in a state or locality that is courting companies looks at those plans very carefully.

One, “Inside Wisconsin’s Disastrous $4.5 Billion Deal With Foxconn,” is at Bloomberg.com, the other, “Wisconsin’s $4.1 billion boondoggle,” is at The Verge. There both long but very well reported. I hope you’ll give one or the other a read, but you may read it and weep—for those nice people with the cheesehead hats.

Here in Chicago, I found yet another reason to vote for any mayoral candidate who’s not linked to Daley, Burke, or the Cook County machine. As I wrote in an earlier post, there’s been a racket in Cook County for eons whereby machine people like Ed Burke throw their considerable resources behind chosen candidates for the Cook County Assessor. Why, because in exchange, the Assessor over assesses properties for companies, condo associations, and other entities with the wherewithal to hired an appeals attorney. And Burke and other cronies get that legal work more often than not, because—wait for it—they have the most influence over the assessor.

Well, we Cook County voters took a piece out of that scam last year when, in the primary, we ousted the incumbent hack, Joseph Berrios. (Besides that scam, Berrios slimed county citizens in myriad other ways, including hiring family and political supporters.)

Well, the Sun-Times and Tribune reported today on a shouting match between mayoral candidate Lori Lightfoot and State Representative Robert Martwick. From the Sun-Times piece:

Martwick filed a bill in Springfield that would dramatically change the way Cook County assessor is chosen.

Starting in 2022, after newly elected assessor Fritz Kaegi completes his first term, the assessor would be appointed by the county board president and confirmed by the Cook County board.

If it weren’t Cook County and Illinois, it would be unbelievable. Lightfoot rightly called this out as the undemocratic machine power grab that it is. And by the way, Martwick is a Toni Preckwinkle supporter. Just another reason I’m supporting Lightfoot, and fellow Chicagoans, I hope you will, too. Regardless I hope you don’t throw your vote to Daley, Preckwinkle, Mendoza, or any of the usual suspects.

Finally, some good news here in Chicago. As we cry in our beer about politics, we can take heart that we pay less for it. And we have more breweries than any U.S city.

We don’t need no stinkin’ Amazon.

Whitney got a lotta love from the Goudy kids yesterday.

My Seeing Eye dog Whitney and I spent yesterday afternoon answering questions from third-graders who attend Goudy Elementary, a Public school in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood. The third graders are part of a Friday “reading buddies” program at Admiral At the Lake, a retirement community where I lead weekly memoir-writing classes.

Goudy is so close to The Admiral that the third grade teacher and her students can walk there. On most Fridays each third-grader brings a favorite book to read out loud to an assigned Admiral resident (their “reading buddy”). Yesterday was different, though. The third-graders had all read my children’s book Safe & Sound before they’d arrived, so rather than reading a book to their buddies, the third-graders gathered around in a circle with a children’s book author (that was me!) so each of them could ask a question.

Every single child told me their name before asking their question, and since their older reading buddies were seated way in the back of the room, I made a point to repeat each question the kids asked.  That way their buddies could hear the question, too. Some examples:

• If you’re blind, you touch things, so can you always feel what your dog is doing?
• Does your dog ever get distracted by squirrels?
• When a Seeing Eye dog has a birthday, do they get the day off so they can just play that day?
• Does your dog ever get distracted and get you into trouble?
• Does your dog ever play with something that doesn’t belong to him?
• How many miles can your dog be away and still hear you?
• If a mom was blind, and her little girl was blind, too, could they have two Seeing Eye dogs?
• Does a Seeing Eye dog ever get to play all day?
• Do other animals help blind people, too, or just dogs?
• How come seeing Eye Dogs are so important for blind people?

Three of the older reading buddies there yesterday also take my memoir-writing class that’s sponsored by The Admiral — those writers were my “in” to yesterday’s presentation, they invited Whitney and me to join in on the fun. Those “reading buddies” tell me spending Fridays with third-grade kids who are full of life and vitality keeps them more active. It gives them something to look forward to every week. And the third graders? They get to leave school Friday afternoons to go outside! Their walk to The Admiral is invigorating, especially in the freezing temperatures we’ve been experiencing in Chicago lately. Once they arrive? The kids get to read to — and learn from — people with loads of life experience, people who are delighted to spend one-on-one time with them.

This is such a cool thing, I wonder why similar programs aren’t going on in other retirement communities. Sure glad it happens here, though — means Whitney and I got to come!

This is a pretty significant Monday here in Chicago.

First, the week began with my fair city winning a dubious honor: A study done at the University of Illinois-Chicago found the Chicago metro area to be the most corrupt in the nation. (Again.) That state of Illinois has some catching up to do: The UIC report ranked it only the third most corrupt in the country.

I’m with Lightfoot. Check out her campaign site for more info.

For you non-Chicagoans, here’s how insane it can be: Key aldermen like Ed Burke and state legislators like Michael Madigan have law firms. A fellow Democratic Party hack has (until very recently) always managed to win the Cook County Assessor’s election. So, once in office, the assessor routinely over assesses large properties owned by those with deep pockets. Those owners then go…where? Wait for it…to the Burkes and Madigans to pay a pretty penny in legal fees to get their assessment adjusted fairly. That’s all legal here in the Land of Lincoln. And that’s the tip of the iceberg.

Let’s see, what else happened today? Oh, a beam supporting a Lake Shore Drive bridge cracked so badly the northbound lanes in a very busy part of the Drive had to be closed. Perhaps there’s a relationship between item #1 and item #2? You betcha. Around here we call it the corruption tax. It’s not just what we pay—it’s how little we get for it because so many people are on the take.

And third, early voting opened across the city. In all 50 wards, Chicagoans can vote for Mayor and aldermen starting today (check out locations and hours). Election day is February 26.

The good news on the corruption front is that the aforementioned Alderman Ed Burke has been indicted by the Feds. Plus, there have been extensive wiretaps (meaning there’s probably more shoes that will drop). Another alderman (Danny Solis), who’s in his own hot water, reportedly wore a wire for a while. And it’s been reported that somewhere on various tapes, House Speaker Mike Madigan—a kingpin in the whole operation—can be heard.

So, cog-by-cog, the machine is falling apart.

The bad news is, Chicago voters have a habit of self-flagellation when it comes to mayoral races. “What’s his name? Daley? Ah, yes. I’ll vote for him.”

And it doesn’t help that the simple act of holding a municipal-only election in February is, in effect, statutory voter suppression. It’s the way the insiders have always wanted it. (Changing the election date is one of four common sense, practical changes recommended in this Tribune guest op-ed—it’s a good read.)

As for my vote? The better known candidates for mayor so far are all very connected in one-way or another to Burke or other smelliness. I’ve also nixed anyone who announced after incumbent Rahm Emanuel announced he would not run. They’re not exactly courageous, crusading reformers.

Among the rest, I’m wholeheartedly voting for Lori Lightfoot. She hasn’t held elected office (is that good or bad?), but she has been meaningfully engaged with police reform and has served in municipal posts. She’s a former Federal prosecutor. She’s currently a successful attorney and a partner at a heavyweight law firm. She has no ties to any of the usual suspects, past or present.

There are other reasons, and this Chicago Sun-Times endorsement covers them nicely.

Subjectively, I just trust her. I judge her to have integrity (she represented Republicans in a gerrymandering case, and won). She seems like she knows how things work. She’s forward thinking but not flaky or naïve.

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. My fellow Chicagoans, I hope you’ll support Lightfoot, but if you don’t, I urge you to vote and skip the usual suspects.

Otherwise we’ll all be getting what we deserve.

Note: For non-Chicagoans, the mayoral race is an open election. There are oodles of candidates this year, and this being Chicago, most are Democrats. If no one receives 50 percent of the vote, the top two vote getters will compete in a run-off. 

Amidst the polar vortex news and all the Super Bowl hype, a noteworthy birthday was only barely noted: Jackie Robinson would have been 100 years old last Thursday, January 31, 2019.

The great Jackie Robinson.

With the Super Bowl and football behind us, baseball is just around the corner. And Major League Baseball will be honoring Robinson’s 100th birthday.

He earned it.

I wish I’d been able to see him play. Robinson’s birthday and the imminent opening of baseball spring training made me think of a column by someone who did get to see Robinson play: Mike Royko.

I came to read Royko’s columns regularly once I’d acquired my appetite for news and newspapers in my teens. I still have not read any columnist that I like better—political, humor, sports, local, or national. Royko had an austere style, a little rugged like Chicago, but also elegant in its own way, and economical. He had finely tuned detectors for hypocrisy and dishonesty, and I really can’t do him justice.

Here’s a taste of Royko’s account from his boyhood when he and a pal walked five miles to Wrigley Field to see Robinson play:

Robinson came up in the first inning. I remember the sound. It wasn’t the shrill, teenage cry you now hear, or an excited gut roar. They applauded, long, rolling applause. A tall, middle-aged black man stood next to me, a smile of almost painful joy on his face, beating his palms together so hard they must have hurt.

When Robinson stepped into the batter’s box, it was as if someone had flicked a switch. The place went silent.

You can read the entire column at the University of Chicago Press web site. In fact, you can read three columns, excerpted from a collection called “One More Time: The Best of Mike Royko,” published by the UC Press.

Note: The Robinson piece is the second of three, you’ll have to scroll down a bit to reach it, it’s called “Jackie’s Debut a Unique Day.” Royko wrote it on the occasion of Robinson’s death.

I hope you’ll give it a read.