Our side is better

A few weeks ago a young'in, who is a parishioner and a NIU student, called about advise for his student teaching assignment. Several of the choices are in the Rockford area, and knowing that I am a Rockfordian, he was seeking advise. Now, each of the places would probably qualify for an inner-city school. But I had to steer him away from the southeast side, into the equally crime-prone far west side.

I was thinking about this after I had suggested the schools that I did. I grew up in a upper neighborhood with lots of blue collar and low level management people. We knew and understood that crime was around us and were always careful. Yet I have always considered our far west neighborhood better than the southeast side of Rockford. The first time I came to DeKalb, I rode my bike to Cortland. There on the main street were several fairly dirty, shirtless kids playing on an old chevy station-wagon, parked next to a beat up pickup truck. Cortland must be a "hillbilly" town. Why do we do this?

Folks like Mother Teresa and Francis of Assisi have always been such great role models for me. They looked at the needs and concerns of people as opposed to their zip codes. One of the best jobs I had ever had was working as a janitor in my home parish. I met lots of service people and laborers who enjoyed doing what they were doing and valued family and friends more than anything else. There is that saying, "bloom where you are planted," which is so important alla of the time. Moreover the human person is so much more than where we are from and where we are going. I sometimes have to learn to get over myself.

I hope that this young man enjoys the West side of Rockford as much as I did. Going into the unfamiliar and even the uncomfortable places of life is such a great teaching tool for all of us.