Chicago may be broke or maybe it’s broken, but not the way you think. The way we care for our communities not only defines who we are, but who we will become.
Just last week, the Chicago Cubs (Sox-siders, stay with me here!) witnessed a historic record set at Wrigley Field.
Rookie, Joshua Baez, in his first at bat, in the first inning, on the first pitch, hit a 449 feet homer into the bleachers.
Fourth inning, he gets up to bat again.
Strike one.
Strike two, sitting at 0-2.
Ball 1. Ball 2. Ball 3.
How is this possible?
Second at bat, count is 3-2.
He stands tall, holds his bat up high and the payoff pitch is thrown.
He swings and hits a line drive. Left field, into the bleachers for his second home run!
Historic! He became the second player to hit two homers in their first two at bats, the other, 75 years ago!
See it for yourself…spoiler alert, Joshua Báez plays for the Cardinals, not the Cubs.
But wait…there’s more! Third at bat, sixth inning. He approaches the plate, takes his stance, 80+ mph ball comes at him and he hits it into the right field bleachers!
The announcer yells, “Major League History at Wrigley Field!” The roar of the crowd is energizing and the fans give him a standing ovation.
The reactions from Chicagoans and Cubs fans were mixed. Some berated those who celebrated history in the making, others felt lucky to have witnessed it. It didn’t matter that he played for another team. Or did it?
Our reaction to the success, or failure, of others, is a reflection of our culture and values. Those values come from our the influence of family and community. How we were raised, the examples that were set for us, the mentors and heroes we looked up to all help determine if we will cheer when we see history being made or gripe about things we can’t control.
Chicagoans deserve a Mayor who will focus on serving the community. Someone who believes that transparency is more than just a buzz word. It’s time to clean up Chicago’s broken culture, because our neighborhoods deserve the best.