My column for The Kewanee Voice is ever-evolving. Going forward, I hope to reflect on some recent occurrences in the first part of the column. This is to be followed by thoughts and ideas of what is to transpire in the upcoming month.
Recently I read that the world’s population increased by around 71 million in 2024 and is now estimated to be around 8.2 billion. I don’t know about you but…
When I first read this, I thought, “Where are we going to put all these people? How are we going to be able to provide enough food, water and shelter for our ever-growing world?”
The scary part of this is that the world population was only about 1 billion in 1800. You do the math. That is over 7 billion new souls in a little over 200 years. One thing for sure is that the world’s population is not growing nearly as fast as our national debt. Now that is a really frightening growth for all Americans!
I also read that there were 570 homicides committed in Chicago in 2024. That number represents the third year in a row that the number of homicides committed in Chicago declined. I don’t know about you but…
I am not a bit encouraged with that bit of information. In my way of thinking, even if homicide numbers in large metropolitan areas were reduced by 50%, it would still be horribly too high. I guess I can be thankful that I don’t live in a large metropolitan area!
Mrs. Christakos and I were able to celebrate the birth of a grandchild on Jan. 15. I don’t know about you but…
We believe that the birth of a grandchild is indeed a blessed event even if it does add to a growing world population. I mentioned to a couple of friends that I had real concerns about how my children and grandchildren were going to survive in an ever-changing world going forward. The response I received from one was, “Don’t you think that every past generation of parents expressed similar concerns about their children’s future?” You know, he was probably correct. Not only has each succeeding generation seemed to survive, but many seem to thrive in our uncertain world.
On a related topic, I cringe every time someone mentions to me how bad the youth of today are. It is an idea that has prevailed through the eons of time, dating as far back as the time of that ancient Greek philosopher Socrates. As someone who has worked with youngsters most of my adult life, I simply don’t buy into that notion. I believe that while the youth of today are certainly different from those of the past, they are no worse. I hope they will be even better in many respects. The future of the world is in their hands.
On a less important note, a new NCAA college football champion was crowned recently. I don’t know about you but…
I know it isn’t perfect, but I really like the idea of a twelve-team tournament to decide a champion. I mean the NFL has had a very successful playoff format, which has culminated in crowning a Super Bowl champion for over fifty years. I know that the NCAA playoff format isn’t perfect and could use a little tweaking, but it is a step in the right direction.
Did you happen to notice that the last two national champions came from the BIG Conference (a.k.a. the Big Ten)? I don’t know about you but…
In the future I think it would be great for that conference, and college football in general, if some other school from that conference not named Ohio State or Michigan would win the national championship.
So, what about February? Although it is our shortest month, I will not make fun of it for being shorter than the other months it shares the calendar with. Really it isn’t any less important than any other month. Some of the holidays include Groundhog Day, Valentine’s Day, and President’s Day among others. It also happens to be Black History Month.
I don’t know about you but…
I don’t believe anything or anyone should be put down for just being shorter than the rest. I have been made fun of too many times to count for my lack of verticality. If me being short is something that people want to tease me about I guess, I feel I should remind them that me being short is not something I have any responsibility for. It is my parent’s fault, not mine. If someone feels compelled to get on me about something, please let it be one of my many shortcomings that I should have to own up to. I mean what in the name of Randy Newman is going on here? Are you kidding me?
I don’t know about you but…
In the big scheme of things Groundhog Day may seem less significant than other holidays. But to me it has great significance. I really don’t care if some rodent in Pennsylvania sees his shadow or not. My way of thinking is that in the worst-case scenario, we will have only about six more weeks of winter. I can live with that. Groundhog Day means to me the warmer weather I crave is not too far away.
I don’t know about you but…
I wonder if we really need Valentine’s Day to tell our sweethearts how important they are to us. I know I am as guilty as anyone for not telling Mrs. Christakos how fortunate I am to have her in my life more often than I do.
I don’t know about you but…
I have a hard time keeping track of what day Presidents’ Day is celebrated. When I was a youth, I knew I was going to get Abraham Lincoln’s birthday off from school on Feb. 12. I also knew that George Washington was born on Feb. 22, but because I lived in Illinois, I only got Lincoln’s birthday off and not Washington’s. Speaking of presidents, when I was younger, I could name all the presidents in chronological order as to when they held office. I couldn’t come close to doing that now.
I don’t know about you but…
I really didn’t know much about the history of Black Americans when I was growing up. Some of that history was taught to me in my history classes in school, but not enough was taught to give it the attention it deserves. I didn’t learn about the depth and importance of Black Americans to the history of our country and the world until I enrolled in a Black History course at Eastern Illinois University, to help satisfy my general education requirements. I have always considered myself a history buff. To this day I still enjoy reading and learning about history. I can honestly say that the Black History class that I took at EIU was the best history class I ever had and a real eye opener.
The contributions made by Black Americans to our national history and to the history of the world must always be recognized and reaffirmed so that their significance and importance will never be diminished or forgotten. And keep in mind, ancestors of these Black Americans were brought to our country against their will. Amazing.
I don’t know about you but…
The only negative I can come up with about the month of February is that there are fewer days for me to catch a nap. Oh well, I leave you with the thought of the month which rightfully comes from one of the great figures in Black History, Rosa Parks: “I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear.”
