Dan Haley’s list of things he liked about Oak Park got me to thinking about why I like Oak Park so much.
One of the main reasons I like Oak Park is many of the people I love the most live in or near Oak Park. For example, if my 2 year old grandaughter Lily lived in Fargo, North Dakota, I wouldn’t like Oak Park nearly as much. In fact, I might move to Fargo,North Dakota.
I like living in a place where there are lots of smart people. When I left my home in New Albany, Indiana to go to college, I’m pretty certain I was the smartest person in the whole town. It was not easy being the smartest person in town. In Oak Park I’m only in the top quartile.
I love going downtown on the Blue Line or the Green Line. After 35 years I still get a kick out of dropping into darkness right after the Halstead Blue Line Stop, or making the big screeching turn right after the State Lake Green Line Stop. I live near a real city!
One of my favorite things to do is to make fun of rich people–it’s a class thing I grew up kind of poor– and River Forest is right next to my town. Sweet.
Oak Parkers care about, well, everything: race,gender,dogs,buildings,vaccines. You name it;we care about it. We have vigils for Iraq war victims and hot dog stands. For columnists and bloggers, Oak Park is the equivalent of the Amazon Rain Forest for zoologists.
Finally as you wait in line or sit out at a block party you almost never hear : “I just don’t know why anyone would choose to be gay.” Or “At least Palin was born here.” Or” “I told my wife, we’ll just have to pray on it.” And that is a good thing.
