Moving On: Graduation

May 13, 2009 and we’re sitting in the new Yankee Stadium on a beautiful Wednesday morning.  The field is transformed with staging, railing and flowers.  I can’t believe I am attending my daughter’s college graduation, as I am sure I just attended my own very recently.  Well it was 27 years ago it just seems recent.  At least it was just last week that I helped Jessie move into U-Hall for her freshman year and just a couple of days ago we visited her in Italy for that second semester of her sophomore year.  Yesterday Kevin and I were painting her room pink.  Man it was hot. 

 

Back to reality.  Back to today.  Sitting in the airport to return our Midwestern home I am reflecting on the last three days that were an exhilarating whirlwind of running and doing, packing and eating, walking and cabs, grad events and chilling.    Jessie is just beautiful and I swell with pride every time I think about her, see her or talk (brag) about her to my friends and colleagues.  She is sweet and smart and has completed a challenging educational experience in the most urban of settings in the world.  New York University is full of itself and for good reason.  I really don’t want to go into it as every speaker, at this well-established and self-proclaimed largest private university in the country, at her school’s ceremony and at the all inclusive ceremony today stated it over and over.  The list of Alumni and the city itself earned that right.  It doesn’t mean that we Big Ten grads need to hear it over and over as if we had an accident on the carpet and they are rubbing our noses in it.

 

May 29, 2009:  Whatever the experience Jessie is back in Chicago now and planning on going back to school to achieve a new goal.  I am glad she is doing it in Chicago.  NYU is a super school and so is Northwestern University where she plans to take some science courses she needs for her current avocation.  I’m sure 4 years from now when Kevin graduates University of Iowa and Jessie finishes grad school I will be thinking….it was just last week that I sat in Yankee Stadium, listening to Senator Clinton speak as my daughter graduated.  And the week before that I was sitting in Assembly Hall in Champaign, Illinois wearing a cap an gown.  

Service is Fun

Yesterday I was a Chicago White Sox Volunteer working with City Year to do a small makeover at the Valentine Boys and Girls Club on Chicago's south side. The White Sox, following President Obama's call for service, planned this day and I couldn't have been more pleased to be a small part of the team of volunteers whether just fans or with City Year or working for the White Sox. Christine O'Reilly his the head of Chicago White Sox Charities and she is really quite amazing managing some really big events all the while maintaning personal relationships with donors and fans, no matter the size of their wallet or availability of service.

Christine was my sales rep in 1983, my first year as a season ticket holder. The way we reconnected some 10 or 15 years later is interesting. My sister lived in Scottsdale. Once when she was coming to Chicago to visit family she sat next to a very nice and very attractive young women and they began a conversation. Christine said she worked for the White Sox and my sister said her brother is a big fan and a season ticket holder. When she told Christine the name there was, or so she said, a faint familiarity. Christine then told my sister, Michelle, to have me call her if there was anything she could do for me. Well, when Michelle told me about Christine of course I remembered her and called soon after. We had a nice conversation and truly appreciated her time.

Interesting thing is all that Christine has done for me, my family and the foundation I work with, I have very little way of repaying her. The big one was back in 2000 my daughter was being a Bat-Mitvah and we were having the party at the Stadium Club at Sox Park or Comiskey (those are the choices, not Cellular Field or The Cell). Ozzie has always been a family favorite and in fact back in 1988 we named our Tibetan Terrier, Ozzie, after then White Sox shortstop Ozzie Guillen. The other possibility for a name was Baines but I could sense they were going to trade Harold and I was right. My daughter wanted to invite Ozzie to her Bat-Mitzvah party and Christine who maintained a very good relationship with Ozzie, currently on the Devil Rays, sent him the invite. Of course, he was at spring training and could not attend even if he had an inclination to attend but Christine made sure that Jessie got an autographed baseball as a gift from Ozzie. She then said "I'll have to get you to meet Ozzie this summer".

We met at 5:30 one night when the Rays, then the Devil Rays, were in town.  Christine led us out onto the field from behind home plate.  The Devil Rays were taking batting practice and we stood off to the third base side near the Sox dugout.  Christine got Ozzie's attention and he waved.  After a stint in the batting cage he came over to say hello and gave Jessie a huge hug.  He said he has to hit again but he will be right back.  Jessie all aflutter and the rest of us with big smiles of amazement watched as Ozzie to a few more cuts in the cage.  After his turn he came over to us and brought the bat he had used.  He signed the bat and said "here Jessie, this is for you."  Very cool.  Ozzie was super but we weren't done.  Christine said "come on, let's go sit in the Sox dugout for a while.  I loved that.  Soon some players came out into the dugout.  My man, Harold came out and he took pictures with us.  I have a jacket with the #3 on it as Ozzie and Harold were always my favorites.  Well this is one of the best experiences in sports that I and my family ever had and Christine was to thank for it all.

Wrapping up, sometimes you can pay it back and sometimes you can pay it forward or you can just do for others to help.  Anyway you slice it, when you volunteer and get to work with others just being a part of the community you get paid big with a great feeling in your heart.  I felt good at the end of the day and I know Christine feels good all the time.  Volunteer.....your heart will thank you.