At the risk of sounding overly sappy, I just had to write this blog about Mt. Prospect, my childrens' 3rd parent, and gush a little. So please raise your glasses, I would like to make a toast!
So many times throughout the years, I have cursed my home b/c I am shoving more things into a small 1949 closet or rearranging furniture AGAIN to make best use of the space. But it doesn't even take a full breath for me to say "shame on you!!". I tell people when I am showing houses this exact thing......yes a lot of people have 1 car garages and share an outdated small bathroom with 4 other people but what makes these bitter pills easier to swallow? WE get to live here!!! I know that we have problems with our houses that come with age - clogged sewer lines, archaic and even dangerous electrical systems, and the most common irritation - LIVING ON TOP OF EACH OTHER in our tiny rooms that form a home. But I cannot stress enough how all of those things are so worth it for me personally. So the price of a house doesn't just cover the physical space of that home and lot, it covers so much more. It covers those intangibles that in the end, are the most important parts of "home". It covers the obvious things like great schools and a beautiful resourceful library. It covers the train accessibility and proximity to Chicago. But I really think the thing that makes every dime worth spending is the PEOPLE.
I have always had great pride in where I am from. I thought the Ready Elementary Rockets were the best students in town. I thought the Griffith Panthers were the toughest teams to beat. I thought that being from the "region" made me stronger than most others. And I thought that Hanover College was a perfect place to graduate. It's not that I ever felt I was better than anyone else, I just have always been extremely proud of where I have come. I am proud Hoosier, Chicagoan and now Mt. Prospector. And I am also not suggesting that we are the only town that swells with unmistakable pride. I know there are hundreds of towns out there that feel the same way, I am just saying we are SO lucky that we have it here.
Recently I dealt with clients who aren't from here. They didn't really "get it". They aren't especially excited to be a part of this community b/c I think they think it's just a town. No big deal. Hopefully this changes for them or they will miss out on so much. So between these clients adverse reaction to community pride and our recent brush with fun and fame with Lee DeWyze, it made me really think about how lucky we all are. I mean, yes we all liked Lee b/c he was sweet and a great singer but more than that, I think we liked it b/c we did it TOGETHER. Would it be as much fun to watch the finale from home or to be with thousands of others? I chose the thousands of others and we all shared one thing that night and I think that's what made it so great. We did it together. I think the same holds true for everything around here. Again, Capanarri's is good ice cream but we have other good ice cream in town but we go to Caps b/c that's where we go to be with others. The "others" might not even be people we know, but it just feels better that we are there with our community.
It's a gift I feel so fortunate to be able to give the kids. Rob and I knew the first day we lived in our house that this town was different. We had lived somewhere else for 4 years and felt more "at home" in the first 24 hours in MP. The Jakes Pizza delivery guy actually said "welcome to Mt Prospect"....I couldn't believe that. How did he even know we just moved in??? Then the next day the UPS guy actually rang the bell and said "welcome to Mt. Prospect". WHAT???? What is this craziness? I started to think we were living in Pleasantville. Neighbors brought us banana bread and other trinkets. One neighbor made a list of everyones names of our whole block. We knew we made the greatest choice and it had nothing to do with the actual house.
The whole gig here is that we care about each other, we really do. And God forbid if tragedy hits your family, but if it does, there is no better town ready to support you and lift you up like Mt. Prospect. We have lost children and parents to cancer and illness and we cared for them and their families with just as much passion as we cheered for Lee DeWyze. Because if you live in MP, you are loved, no matter what.
So here's to MP - my kids' 3rd parent. It really does take a Village and we are blessed to have this one!
2 comments:
Amen, Sister. I feel especially lucky to have found this village too. We are at times in the shadow of some of our bigger and more costly, neighboring towns, and that is exactly where I like it. No need to be the 'star', have inflated housing costs, or an ego. The people here are real, don't 'keep up with the Jonses, and down to earth, and I love that about this town. Yay for you to spotlight it so!
There is one more thing that would make MP better for me and my family.......
If YOU were MY neighbor!!!!
Scott
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