Here I go with the second edition of my column and already things are changing. The original name was arrived at in a hasty manner and I was never really thrilled with it. After consulting with the Voice and other people in the know, it was decided to change the name.
“It’s all Greek to me” has come to mean I really don’t understand it at all. Those that know me best might say that applies to me in many situations of my life. Nevertheless, I think the new title plays well with my Greek heritage, which I cherish.
I really didn’t plan on my second column to come so quickly but there were things that I wanted to comment on about the month of March so I decided to attempt to get it out before March ends, so here goes….
I don’t know about you but…
I think of March as one of my favorite times of year. Each passing day brings me closer to the weather I have been missing all winter long. Days where I can dress in shorts and short sleeves and spend time outdoors on a regular basis.
I don’t know about you but…
I think you should know that March is National Kidney Month. Having two properly functioning kidneys is a wonderful thing and something that shouldn’t be taken for granted.
March also means March Madness and I don’t know about you but…
Being a huge high school and college basketball fan makes it absolutely one of my favorite times of year. The excitement of post season tournaments, the finality of seasons ending with a loss and seeing young athletes competing at high levels makes it a must watch. Mrs. Christakos and I really enjoy watching postseason high school and college tournaments on the tube.
Speaking of March Madness, I don’t know about you but…
I thoroughly enjoyed the “Kewanee Back When” podcast put together by Dave Clarke, Shawn Kernan and Larry Flannery on the 1971 Kewanee Boilermakers run through the IHSA Boys Basketball Tournament that year. They did a masterful job of capturing the drama and excitement of the Boilers’ accomplishments back when all schools in the IHSA Basketball Tournament competed in one class. I believe this to be a timeless part of not only the history of KHS, but the city of Kewanee as well.
In regards to college basketball, I don’t know about you but…
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Coach Brad Underwood, the University of Illinois Men’s basketball team, on their recent Big 10 Conference Tournament Championship. As an Illinois fan, I am cherishing this accomplishment even more than ever because I realize that winning conference championships will get increasingly more difficult moving forward as they are going to add four more teams to the league next year. The BIG 18? Are you kidding me? Geez!!!
Again on the subject of basketball I don’t know about you but…
I would like to wish good luck to Coach Matt Clark on his retirement from being the Head Boys Basketball Coach at Kewanee High School. Coach Clark took over the reins of the Boilermaker program under trying circumstances. He was replacing a very successful and popular Head Coach, Shaune Lewis, after his tragic death. Also, his first season was during the Covid Pandemic, which increased the difficulty of coaching any sport at any level. I always felt that although it wasn’t always aesthetic, Coach Clark’s teams played with great passion and effort and represented their school and community in the proper manner.
And finally, one of March’s more popular holidays is St. Patrick’s Day. I don’t know about you but…
Although on the 17th of March millions of Americans celebrate St. Patrick’s day, I refuse to celebrate this holiday with much enthusiasm. I might change my mind if our country would start celebrating March 25th, Greek Independence Day with the same fervor. I would like to see Americans wearing blue and white on that date while enjoying some lamb, souvlakia, and stuffed grape leaves washed down with a glass of ouzo, followed by a piece of baklava for dessert. Opa! Yasou!
I don’t know about you but…
March is a fine month for taking naps. Sounds like a good idea.
