You might have heard of Walter Johnson because he’s been important to Naperville in many ways, but today I’m sharing a story you won’t know. For the first time, he’s talking publicly about an often-traumatic childhood prepared him to be the man he is today.
Our bond was alphabetical: Miller, Messerich, McGrath. As high school sophomores at St. Joseph’s Franciscan Seminary in Westmont, we lined up together in class, sat in the same church pew and at the same cafeteria table, and slept in the same row of dormitory bunks.
I was a weird child. When my friends had pictures of ’70s heartthrobs like Donny Osmond and David Cassidy on their bedroom walls, I had posters advertising the London-based D’Oyly Carte Opera Company.
There’s a dark side to viewing a solar eclipse along the line of totality. The light-years drive home.
A record number of Americans viewed the Great American Eclipse of 2017, when the swath of totality cut through southern Illinois. Granted, not all of the 154 million adults who watched it were with us on Interstate 57 later that afternoon, but, wow, it sure seemed like it.
Halloo, hallay, from the Bean to Union Station, here comes a day, or citywide celebration. On this March 4, by proclamation of the mayor; Chicago adds a year, while I simply turn grayer. You’re a windy 187, Me, a century-plus less, we have the same birthday, but not the same noblesse.
Before we left on our most recent trip to our home country of England a couple of weeks ago, some American friends asked me what the British thought of King Charles and I had to admit I had no idea.