People of Rogers Park

A community on Chicago's far north side.

[peopleofrogerspark]

“From July 2015 to July 2016, whenever the weather agreed and I could spare or make time, I’d walk the streets of East Rogers Park, asking anyone who’d make eye contact with me, ‘Do you live here in Rogers Park? Would you mind spending a few minutes with me for a project I’m working on?’ I met a lot of people. Dozens who you won’t see pictured at PeopleOfRogersPark.com, but who took time out of their day to tell me about their life, their Rogers Park experience. I appreciate every one of those conversations. Then and now. There were many more who couldn’t spare the time just then, but who hoped to circle back one day to take part; it was nice to make a new acquaintance even if only for a few rushed moments. And the four hundred or so people who did collaborate with me: we talked, shared laughs and ideas and even opinions—mostly while I recorded our conversation, and then I’d shoot a few photos and we’d continue on our separate ways. Sometimes, not until tears were shed and hugs exchanged. The most thanks goes to these people who allowed me to take their time unexpectedly, without anything palpable in return, and who shared so much about themselves and their lives, even sometimes when they didn’t think they were.”

“For viewers, People of Rogers Park offers as much or little as one may want. Some may enjoy a voyeuristic opportunity, but there are real discoveries and hypotheses to be made. As the project grew into maturity, the conversations transcribed here were exactly that. Not soliloquies or elevator pitches, but real exchanges between complete strangers that were richer than I ever imagined they could be.”

“What I now know more acutely than ever is that you simply cannot know unless you ask (and take the time to listen). You'll never be understood unless you share. And when you talk to people, you learn what makes us similar and even the same; many of the differences don’t matter as much, if at all.”

“I’ve long been impressed upon by documentary portraiture, and I’m neither the first nor last person to document their neighbors, or the residents of a single community. In 1987 I completed a series of street portraits that still inspires me, and in many ways was the impetus for this project. Obviously, the world and the way strangers interact has changed considerably since then. Digital image-making as we know it didn’t exist, and there was definitely no internet. There are a lot of reasons I created People of Rogers Park. Many of them, I didn’t discover until I was hip-deep into it. I suspect that some of the reasons and what I’ve learned haven’t even been revealed to me yet. Truthfully, People of Rogers Park began as fodder for under-employed idle hands, teased by the cyclical nature of life. People of Rogers Park brought me back to that earlier street portrait project: a time when the world was my oyster and I was unafraid to know it and the people in it. Mostly, I took on the People of Rogers Park project because I could. And I wanted to.”

Now, at its conclusion, many sincere thanks to everyone who participated in, and lent their support to People of Rogers Park over the last year.

In health, Clint Smith

Correspondence may be directed to [email protected]

[peopleofrogerspark]

Even after a year of working on People of Rogers Park, there are still discoveries to be made among the hundreds of collaborations.

[peopleofrogerspark]

“I’ve lived here maybe two years. I moved out to Chicago about three years ago. I’m from New York, originally.”

What brought you to Chicago from New York?

“Someone I was dating at the time. We originally moved to the Gold Coast [neighborhood].”

Now that that relationship has ended, why Rogers Park?

“It was just a nice neighborhood. I wasn’t sure—a few people said some sketchy things about the area before I moved, but once I saw the place I’m living, I thought ‘Alright, whatever. I’m done with Brooklyn. It can’t be any worse.’ Brooklyn is an amazing place, but it’s a huge place so you never know what you’re going to get. If I can see what I can get and I don’t like it, I can just walk away.”

Rogers Park is often compared to Brooklyn in terms of diversity. Having lived both places, can you see any correlations or similarities?

“Not so much, but with what I’ve experienced, [Rogers Park] is a lot more suburban than even urban or even city. I like that about it. More shrubbery, more space. While it’s very young and festive and has a lot going on, it’s still enough space that I can be alone and with people—at the same exact time.”

Would you say that you’re a man of opposites, and are there other examples of that?

“I guess so. I’m demure on a day-to-day basis, but if there’s a party or something kinda crazy going on: whatever happens, happens. You only live once.”

Do you have a secret talent? Perhaps something that those in your demure day-to-day life don’t know about, but that others do?

“I’m not sure. I used to do impersonations. I kinda like making fun of things. I figure what’s better than imitating people, as both a way to flatter and humor at the same time? I used to do Arnold Schwarzenegger.”

Is working in customer service something you’ve always done?

“I kinda fell into it while [being in Chicago]. I came here with the intention of going back [to New York]. I didn’t really come here to follow any job that would have me laying roots. Customer service is essentially the same as freelancing.”

When you were younger, what did you want to do when you grew up?

“A scientist. Biologist, chemist—things of that nature. I really like National Geographic, Discovery Channel...always trying to figure out what more humanity will add to the pool. I was always fascinated by that stuff.”

What’s the last thing that you learned?

“Recently, I’ve been on this weird sociology kick. I’ve been reading up on [Intelligence Quotient]; varying forms of research that has been done. My new consensus with I.Q. is that it isn’t racially tinged...if you live over here or if you’re this shade, your I.Q. will be in this range. It has to do more with your health, your general sense of well-being, how your society operates overall, and the relative ease you have to accomplish your general wants and needs.”

So that would be a ‘nurture over nature’ position, but you often hear of wunderkind exceptions who overcome the obstacles and are held up as inspiration. Based on your interests and reading, what’s the percentages on nurture versus nature as it relates to I.Q.?

“I would say to optimize nature before birth; you automatically create a new nature, where they’re static would be higher. But you’ve still got nurture to play a part...giving [infants] natural milk—[that’s] health and well being. Nature-wise, I think a lot of us hover around the 105 [I.Q.] range. Depends on whether you get encyclopedias or sticks as a kid. Depends on the balance.”

If there was a formula to a higher intelligence, don’t you think everyone would be clamoring to optimize it?

“There might very well be a formula, but because everyone thinks its a static base, based on a stereotype—your gender or your race, or whatever—it’s not being applied. If you look at Asians, they have a very specific diet, they have a very specific adherence to their culture, and they have a very specific family structure; and they’re ranked as one of the highest I.Q.s in the world. People of Jewish descent operate under the same belt. Close-knit families, very low variance in terms of health and well-being; a pretty static trajectory for life. It’s under every other belt that you may get a [widely] varying range, depending what’s going on in their country or their [part of the] world or whatever the case may be. Specifically, the two groups that are marked as the highest, have the least variables going on in their lives. If we were to look at it, you’d probably find exactly what you needed to make sure that everyone had a certain I.Q. level.”

For the sake of argument–

“Sure!”

Let’s say that those variables that are static, and perhaps enabling, could be interpreted as ‘boring.’ Which would you rather have for you personally; boring variables and a higher I.Q., or a life that’s less boring and more dynamic with greater variance, resulting in a lower I.Q.?

“I guess, more so—the varied.”

“I.Q. is a misnomer. All it is, is the ability to process things at a quicker rate with the best absolution using crazy variables. It’s really just speed thinking. People tend to be logical, but it always works in direct relation to where your balance in life is. If there is little balance, you’re going to see other things that aren’t related to the balance as potential problems. Your brain is going to work toward fixing them—further skewing you away from what would be considered normal. Because you’re already out of balance...you’re over-thinking [to compensate]. I imagine that’s the mental trajectory of all your best dictators.”

Do you have a credo or motto that you live by?

“Uh, I guess...everyone deserves the right to be happy, and just enjoy whatever days you have and make the most of it.”

If you could have an evening to converse and exchange ideas with two people, living or dead, who would it be?

“For one, Joseph Campbell. I’d love to pick his brain—to see what led him down his path—and just to bounce ideas off of his ideas of myths and stories and stuff. And I guess potentially, Hugh Hefner. Like, a younger Hugh Hefner. There’s so many areas of balance in life. While I can focus completely on thought and such, our minds force us into the sexual realm very early on. Everything goes into that weird flip, back-and-forth from there: if you don’t have enough sex, you can’t think. If you think too much, we might not be able to get sex again. I’d think there’s something to be said for the extreme, and I definitely have to emphasize the extreme abundance of Hugh Hefner’s life in terms of women and the celebrity that it brought, and the whole empire that he essentially created from that. I’d like to get a general view of what he sees the world as.”

What are you most proud of?

“That weird time that I ended up saving someone’s life? I was sixteen and extremely reckless. A guy was being attacked by another person in the middle of the day in a heavily populated area. This person was stomping on his head—on metal grates—so blood was coming out and all that good stuff. I saw it and [my] trigger reaction was to just throw myself in the fray. I just ran in there. The guy saw me, and for whatever reason—I don’t know why—seeing this sixteen year-old kid run at him caused him to stop what he was doing and he ran the other way. This guy was bleeding...luckily he was near this barbershop...took him upstairs, got some bandages to patch up his head while we called the cops. He was too disoriented to really talk. Sometimes I think...what if [the attacker] had acted the opposite way? Would I really have had any strength to back up this impulse move?”

You had an impact on that man’s life. Tell me about a time, place, or person who impacted you, making you who you are.

“One person in particular was one of my first bosses—back in New York. A really cool guy. He had a son that was a few years younger than me so he had the whole mentor thing going on. Being around him helped me when I wasn’t feeling as strong a connection with my own father. We played chess together and all that stuff. Mentally, it was nice to see someone I could relate to and I could always bounce ideas off of.”

It sounds like he was someone who was just there when you needed someone to be.

“Exactly. No powerful message.”

What do you aspire to?

“To be less of a vagrant. Not in terms of criminal activity or anything like that. I guess nomad would be a better term. In relation to having a career established. I came [to Chicago] with the idea that I was going to do the whole get-married-have-children thing. That fell out. Now, it’s ‘how do I orient myself?’ Not so much back to that, but where do I put myself from there. I’m thinking the sciences again, but—eh, we’ll see what happens.”

"When it comes to...socializing and how that both frames your viewpoint of the world and how you think the world is framed, based on your viewpoint; I think everyone in America should really get a grasp that the world is vastly bigger than racial relations within our country. So many people outside America really do hope that Americans will kinda get it together, because it’s a beautiful country, beautiful people. Amazing things can be gotten from within this country, but to see so many forms of communication—from media to [special interests] being used to try to tear Americans apart, it’s very much not the basis of how the country seems to have been formed.”

[peopleofrogerspark]

[Him] “We both came from South Florida. I was actually born in Fort Lauderdale. She was the stereotypic New Yorker, who went down from New York City to Miami Beach, and we met at The University of Florida. We came for school, initially. I came to go to Northwestern [University]...to study medical pathology—glorified med-tech degree and then I went on from there. I came in the Fall of 1977. We were married in December in Miami. She came up in February.” [Her] “I studied law.”

[Him] “We've lived in the same neighborhood, within a three-block radius since then. Being from South Florida we wanted to live by water—we’re used to the ocean. The lakefront—this was one of the few places we could afford. We have one son that we raised here, and we like the fact that he’s grown up in such a culturally diverse neighborhood: diverse financially, racially, in every respect—it’s got everything.”

If you were going to write the headline for the Rogers Park travel brochure, what would it be?

[Her] “It’s All Here. You name it, you’ll find it.” [Him] “That’s perfect. The good, the bad, the ugly, the beautiful. She nailed it.”

Does your son share your enthusiasm for the neighborhood?

[Him] He’s now twenty-two years of age and he’s living overseas. He’s an athlete that has more opportunities—he’s training in London and Sofia, Bulgaria. He goes back and forth. We’ll see how far he goes. We don’t know if he’ll ever make the Olympics...we just want him to have the best opportunity he can have. I’m living vicariously through him because he travels to all these interesting places, so whenever possible and affordable, we can hop off and see some cool, new parts of the world.”

What’s the best advice advice you’ve ever given your son?

[Her] “Just try. You never know til you try—if you like something or not—of if you’re any good at it.” [Him] “Our son has been very capable, and he’s done very well at everything he’s ever done. [My wife] is of the school that you give the whole buffet—the entire smorgasbord of life—let them pick and choose what they want to do, and let them run with it and succeed. If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be. And in that regard, too: she actually views failure as a positive thing, because then you realize you can’t do everything. It’s been a good life with him.”

How would your son describe you, in three words?

[Him, laughing loudly] “It’d probably be very humorous.” [Her] “It depends on the day.” [Him] “That’s true.” [Her] “He still likes us, let’s put it that way. He still likes us.” [Him] “There are times he thinks we know nothing. And that’s okay. And that’s normal. It’s been, overall, the best thing that every happened. Having a child.” [Her] “I think [our son] would use the word unique. He told me that’s why he likes us.” [Him] “Unique?” [Her] “Yes.” [Him] “I didn’t know he viewed me that way. Oh, I like that.”

Other than your son, what are you most proud of?

[Him] “I don’t know if I’d say proud—I’m very happy that I met my wife. [She moans.] [Him] “But it’s true!”

What do you aspire to?

[Her] “That’s a work in progress.” [Him] “Right now, I’ve retired. I want to learn things that I haven’t been able to do when I was working. One, being piano. I love music and I never had the time.”

If time, money, or physical capability were no obstacle, what would you pack up and do right now?

[Her] “I’d go to Bulgaria.” [Him] “To see her kid!” [Her] “To live there! There’s good beaches. It’s nice!” [Him] “If I had unlimited money, what I’d like to do is positive things with the money. I’d love to have the means to be a philanthropist...to help people that really need the help.”

Do you have a credo or motto for life?

[Him] “Whoa. I don’t think I...I’ll have to work on that.” [Her, with a smile] “That’s a work in progress.” [Him, everyone laughing] “That’s her fall-back!” [Her] “When you go through changes in life, it takes a while!”

So, I wrap up these interactions by saying ‘the floor is yours.’ Do you have any parting thoughts or ideas you’d like to share?

[Him, turning to her] “Help me.” [Her] “No. You like to talk more than I do.” [Him] “I like to talk, but I don’t...[lowers voice to a hushed, thinking tone] “Finish up this chat. How can I round it out?” [Her, through laughter] “You can never finish up a chat!” [Him] “I know! I’m the mouth of Midwest.”

[peopleofrogerspark]

“We moved here three and a half years ago. We lived in Andersonville, so it’s not that far of a stretch from where we lived. We moved because we were looking for something spacious, where there’s parking. My husband thought there was a lot of parking all the time, but he only came cruising through the neighborhood during the day—and then [any time other than that] there’s no parking!”

"This block is super quiet. We did come across some police activity at first and thought: let’s go back to Andersonville! The first few months was like that. Overall, it’s great. I like the family aspects; I can always hear kids playing and stuff. I like to support local stores and restaurants—there’s a lot of that in this area, too. It’s not maybe—as snotty as Andersonville. It’s a little more laid back, but people don’t really say hi to each other as much. Just in general, walking by somebody and you say hi—a lot of people just look away or look down, which is kind of dumb to do.”

What do you aspire to?

“I aspire to being a good human being.”

And how do you go about doing that?

“Being good to everyone. I have three kids, so raising them and trying to live a good life and teach them the good things...to be courteous to others. My kids are really good at that. Always giving someone a helping hand—and it’s a shame sometimes, because you wanna help somebody and they’re ‘No, no, no I got it. I got it.’ Okay, I’m just trying to help you, I’m not trying to steal your groceries!”

Other than your kids, what are you most proud of?

“I’m most proud of being in a long-term marriage. We’re going to be married twenty-seven years. A lot of my friends are divorced. So many people don’t stay together. That’s a big accomplishment to be able to be with somebody so many years.”

What do you attribute that accomplishment to?

[Chuckles softly] “I guess being patient. And sometimes not be opinionated and sometimes keep your opinions and your comments to yourself and let someone else take over and let them be the lead. Sometimes. Some people love to argue. They love bumpin’ heads all the time. I just wanna live a life of peace—just chill life, you know?”

How would your husband describe you in three words or less?

[Laughs out loud] “Oh shoot! Lemme get him...probably...I’m kind to others, and I’m dedicated to my job, dedicated to whatever my mission is. Whatever I want to do, I set out and get it done.”

What’s your mission now? What are you working on?

“I work on just being kinder to others and helping others that need help. That’s my big mission, always.”

Has there been a time in your life you were on the receiving end of that? When you’ve had to turn to others for help?

“Not so much—maybe just because sometimes I don’t want to share things with people, so I just suck it up and deal with it. If other people wanna say ‘let me help you with that’ then I’ll take it, but I’ve never reached out to people to help me with things.”

That’s something to think about.

“Yeah.”

You’ve talked about this idea of helping others as having a pretty strong presence in your life. Do you have a motto that you live by?

“Live life to the fullest. I don’t worry about things for too long. I don’t let things eat me up. I gotta move on.”

This sensibility that seems very strong and that guides you—where does that come from? Is it something you learned, or were you born with it?

“I think it’s natural. I grew up with a single mom. My dad passed away when I was really young. So learning about life and dealing with life on my own—it’s just a lot of life experiences and how you take each one. I lost a lot of my family members early in life, so you just get stronger from that.”

Do you have a thought for the day? Just something that’s been on your mind?

“I dunno, just with everything that’s going on the world—just more peace, less crime. I don’t know what I could do to help that—”

Do you think that maybe just having and sharing those thoughts can make a difference?

“I think it does. You know, when you’re in conversations sometimes and people are in a negative state, you try to try to reason with them, and show them. I learned a lot of that from my kids. I can be negative a lot of times—you know, quick to judge...you’re gonna have those moments. And they’ll be like ‘well sometimes you have to see other people’s side.’ They’re like that.”

That seems contrary to other parts of our conversation, but it certainly sounds like as a family you work together pretty well.

“We have to help each other out. Even though they’re kids and I teach them stuff, they’re teaching me plenty.”

What’s the last thing you learned?

“I just had a simple conversation the other day at a wedding, and I complimented my husband on something he’s accomplishing. Later, he thanked me for going out of my way and complimenting him, especially in front of him. He doesn’t [often] hear that from me. Just little things like that...sometimes you’re not as kind to the people around you as you should be. You’re kinder to the outside, and you need to be kinder to the inside.”

[peopleofrogerspark]

“Eleven years, going on twelve in Rogers Park. Before, we were at Granville at Glenwood [Avenues]. We lived over there for eight or nine years. Before that, we were on North Paulina [Avenue]. This [neighborhood] is so diverse...I get to eat Mexican food, I get to eat food from Ghana, from America; Louisiana, further down is from Senegal.”

”When we came here it was not so good of an area. At that point it met our requirements pretty much. I work in downtown, so it’s close to the train station...and it links me to other places...it works for me! My sons were in school...both were taking the trains...but they’ve moved out of Chicago.”

"I wave to everyone; I’ve been sitting here for the past eleven years. In the summertime it’s my best pastime—sitting with my cat, here. I’m probably the only one in Rogers Park that walks his cat. My cat is so wild she doesn’t want to be on a leash. She walks with me and she comes right back.”

“Actually, to be honest, in the last few years it has become a very good neighborhood in terms of security and all that. I often hear some [gun]shots, but still—I feel very secure. The cops, they wave to me. I don’t bother anybody, nobody bothers me. This building right here—I see thousands of people move in and out. Most of them college students. They come and go. They wave to me or I say hi to them, and sometimes they bring stuff; ‘Hello, here, food for you.’ I am very open to them.”

Wait. You said you liked all the varieties of food available to you in Rogers Park. You didn’t say that it was coming from your neighbors.

[Laughing] “This is my domain, from here to here [motioning to the frontage of his home]. I planted that [motioning to a unique flowering plant]. People take pictures of that.”

But that doesn’t explain why people are compelled to bring you food. In contrast, no one brings me food. Ever.

“Probly because you are not friendly! [Laughing] Maybe I’m an amiable person I guess, or people like me somehow. You’re here. You just stopped here. No connection right there. [And now] we are friends.”

Have you always worked in I.T.?

“I’m an I.T. guy. I’ve always done that. Thirty-seven years.”

Whoa, so I.T. before the internet!

“Back from when one computer used to be from there to here [gesturing]. The first hard drive that we bought was called ‘Winchester.’ It was literally a whole cabinet. It took fifty people to drag it. Twenty MB [megabytes]. Heavy. Twenty MB. Samsung recently announced a hard drive that is this big, it’s four terabytes, it’s the size of a thumb drive. Four terabytes! At that time, India was breaking into the I.T. world and Microsoft started moving their basic technological work to India. I was in college and got into it—then I moved to [Los Angeles] and started working for Apple...when John Sculley was the chairman. I worked there a limited amount of time and went to work for Silicon Graphics, then [they] closed.”

This corner of Rogers Park is a long way from Silicon Valley and San Francisco and Mountain View, California, isn’t it?

“Right. As luck would have it, my son moved there. He’s in San Francisco. He’s in animation. My younger one is also in I.T., he works for three different companies. The younger one is twenty-four, the older one is twenty seven.”

“I’m from Bhopal, India. It’s the place where Union Carbide had an accident in 1984. A gas leak that killed more than two thousand people. I am from the royal family lineage. Over the years, the government took over the princely estates...by the time it came to me, it’s just pennies—so I had to move on and start a career, and that career brought me here. I’m here, at the twilight of my life and happy as I can be. Pretty content. I have completed one book of poetry, and I’m working on a second one now. One book of short stories, and a third one that’s going to be long and all that kind of thing. My wife is a writer. She works for many organizations here, including one that does schoolbooks and that kind of thing.”

What compelled you to write a book of poetry?

“It’s in my native language, first of all. We’re trying to translate it into English. I read a ton. My passion is books. The library is [nearby] and every second or third week we get about thirty books. I take the train, so it’s pretty convenient for me to read...I’m devouring books and so is my wife.”

“Every single day I learn something amazing. Down there, there’s a girl named Susan. She’s a botanist or something. She introduces me to all kinds of plants. My masters [degree] is in earth sciences. My basic field [of study] was in micro-paleontology. Mining shells. Very, very minute. Minuscule. I was very much interested in that—moving from Bhopal to Bombay, which is close to the sea. My masters is in earth sciences from Bombay University.” [Mumbai became the official name of Bombay in 1995]

Whoa. Hold up. How do you go from micro-paleontology to internet technology?

“I was in college and there was no such thing as computers—and then everybody jumped on the bandwagon. I jumped from here to that.”

What do you miss about India?

“Actually, the rain. The monsoons. It’s monsoon season in India and it rains every day. You see the sun shining like crazy, you walk one block and it rains...it’s so heavy you [can’t] see a block away. They call it the ‘ropes of water.’ It is a curtain you don’t see beyond. It is so dense. I miss that, and I miss the mangoes. You go to Google and say ‘which mango is the best’ and it will say Alphonso, which is a variety of Bombay mangoes.”

“It’s a different life over there. Now, I have missed so much that every time I go back, I have to start all over again. I don’t understand their jokes, they don’t understand my jokes—and I’m trying to make a connection, but we’re on different wavelengths. When they mention somebody I’m like; uhm, let me see—I have changed jobs seven times here in the last twenty six years. I have met more than a thousand people as very good friends, not just acquaintances—very good friends. I am blessed. I am more comfortable in my skin here.”

We’ve talked about your career, your writing, your voracious reading habit, the boxes and bookmarks that you craft, and the sarod [a stringed instrument] that you play—do you ever consider relaxation as an actual activity to partake in?

“If you want to ask me one word about me, I’m a perfect ‘mediocre.’ I like to do a lot of things because I know life is a very precious gift. I may not be here tomorrow, so I have to get as many things done as I possibly can before I’ve moved on.”

How long have you been married?

“Since before Christ. 2000 B.C. or something like that.”

In three words, how would your wife describe you?

“Uhm, insane. Grumpy-old-man. And somebody who’s exceptionally talented, but uniquely disturbed.”

[peopleofrogerspark]

“I moved here in 2004. I came originally because I was studying to be a Jesuit. I was living at what at the time was called the Jesuit Residence—a building that no longer exists in the middle of the Loyola [University] campus. I was here studying philosophy. That lasted for about a year, and I left the Jesuits but stayed in the neighborhood—but for a brief sojourn down to Ukrainian Village for a couple, three years while I was working down that way."

“I’m from the East Coast. Before I ever came to Chicago, I was a high school teacher in the D.C. area...teaching theology and philosophy in a Catholic high school. I’d been doing a lot of work with high schoolers for many years. I felt like a lot of them were experiencing a desire for meaning in their lives and my faith at the time had been really important to me, so I felt like that was something I could share with the students. Through a series of experiences and getting to know different Jesuits, especially at Georgetown University, I got interested in what they were doing—and their mission was education and social justice and that seemed to be a pretty good match with mine—so I decided to give them a try for a few years.”

There’s a phrase in there that carries a lot of weight and meaning: ‘at the time.’

“I left the Jesuits in 2005. It happened for me, right around the time I had to start wearing the black outfit with the little white thing a little more often. Somebody said to me [about] that little white piece; ‘that’s the screen on which people project their home movies.’ And I found that was very true, and that folks immediately began to assume that I stood for a whole lotta things that I absolutely didn’t stand for. That became intolerable to me. I couldn’t keep doing that. And so, I decided that if I was gonna be in favor of education and social justice and things like that, that I was going to do it my own way and not through that system. Plus, it’s a pretty lonely life, and I started realizing that I was looking for a relationship. A bunch of things came together and convinced me that wasn’t my path. But then I worked for the Jesuits for...the next eight years.”

Other than the comment from a friend about the clerical collar, was there something that stands out as a defining moment that shifted your perspectives and course?

“It was a build-up of small things. Jesuits, in their spirituality—they talk about discernment. That is for many people and in many cases, a really slow weighing process of thinking your way through different kinds of choices that you could be making. Paying attention to your own heart and asking yourself; am I truly happy? Is this really want, is this what I want to be doing, is this what I want to be offering? For me, the process was one of very slowly feeling my way through until I began to realize, through an accumulation of lots of small things, that I wasn’t on the path that I wanted to be on.”

Do you have advice for others who might in that discovery mode, the ‘wait a minute’ space where they may be questioning what’s true for them, but also seeing that changing course might be a difficult task?

“What helped me, for sure, was silence. And a lot of patience with myself, and not freaking out. When you’re in the throes, or even when you’re confronted with the possibility that—wait a minute! Maybe the way that I’ve been doing this...or the way that I’ve been living—maybe this doesn’t make sense anymore; the first response that I felt, and that I’ve seen lots of other people experience too, is fear. No one makes good decisions out of fear. If you’re able to be patient with yourself, and embrace those moments of uncertainty and kinda listen into them, with patience, I feel like you have the possibility of making a decision that’s true to your inner voice but also compassionate to yourself—and allowing the possibility that people can change, ya know? I think sometimes we’re scared of the idea that we can change across our lives, but I don’t know—for me, every time I’ve embraced change in my life I embraced a bigger world.”

What do you aspire to?

“My aspirations have gotten a lot simpler lately, I would have to say. I try very hard these days to be very true to myself. To be in that space of listening to my inner voice, and trying to be obedient to it, and honest about it.”

That’s a shift in your relationship with yourself—how has that affected your relationships with others?

“I would say that when I’m able to do it, it affects it in a really positive way. When I’ve not been able to do it, I think I’ve found myself making poor decisions. As someone who maybe was brought up in a little bit too much of a self-abdicating Christian Catholic tradition, it’s been easy sometimes for me to make decisions out of guilt or out of fear or out of obligation. Sometimes I’ve had to cut some relationships off where I felt like the predominance of my decision making...didn’t leave me making decisions that were really true to myself. I’m at my best when I’m patient with myself and others.”

What are you most afraid of?

“I used to be very afraid of making mistakes. I’m not anymore. I think at some points I was afraid of losing the love or the esteem of other people. I’ve now lost enough of that across my life that that doesn’t really bother me anymore. I think right now I’m probably most afraid of my own tendency to be arrogant. When I’m not attentively self-critical, I run the risk of falling into situations where I assume that I’m right. Or, where I make decisions that don’t take other people into consideration. That bothers me...that I could fall into places where I’m really not paying attention. Or I’m paying attention, uncritically, to voices that I probably should have outgrown a long time ago.”

A lot of introspection and truth-seeking, there.

“Yeah, seems to be!”

When’s the last time you lied?

“Oh gosh. Small lie? Probably in the last week, for sure. I’m trying to think about what I could have lied about. I can easily imagine to whom I would have lied.”

How would that person describe you, in three words?

“Very, very, very tricky question. Let’s see—and I say this because the person in question has some...issues...and so oscillates quite wildly between two very extreme points of view about me. It really depends on the moment. ‘Love of my life’—the other point of view might be ‘ruined my life.’ So, somewhere between those two extremes.”

Do you have a motto for life?

“There’s a line from an old text...from St. Teresa of Avila, who was a fifteenth-century Spanish mystic. She has a line in a short prayer of hers that says ‘Patient endurance. Attaineth to all things.’ At least lately, that feels like a motto that I’ve been living out of.”

[peopleofrogerspark]

[Him] “We’ve lived here twenty-six years. We lived in Evanston, in a condo.” [Her] “It was too small.” [Him] “We didn’t care for all the [condominium] restrictions and stuff. Real estate taxes were too high...we couldn’t afford anything there. There was a friend of mine who lived in one of these houses [on this street] and he said ‘Oh, there’s a house here. [My wife] had just gone through a couple of years of tremendous illness with chemical sensitivities and environmental illness. She was very, very sick. She just barely was getting better. Her weight was down to eighty-five or ninety pounds—people crossed the streets to avoid her—you know, you don’t want to look at somebody that’s about to die! So, this place was owned by a couple that had a childcare thing in here. The husband was allowed to smoke, but he was only allowed to smoke outside. Smoke was a horrible thing for her. Newer buildings that had been painted—within five minutes she’d be sick. We went in here and it was far better than any other place we’d been to—the only place we’d seen that wasn’t going to make her sicker than she was, so we ended up getting it. We really like it. You can hang up your laundry in the back. In the condo, you can’t do those things. Other people’s idea of what it’s like to be civilized—we have a lower idea.” [Her] “Ours is very low.”

With a friend in the neighborhood that was recommending it, you had a pretty good idea of what to expect when moving in—were there any surprises?

[Him] “Gunshots were surprising. There were lots of guns going off here. Lots of gangs. These buildings were not there. There was a restaurant. In order to make some extra money, they began renting out the place to parties. The noise was incredible, so it must have been horrible in there. Then a couple of times they’d have fights.” [Her] “They were so funny.” [Him] “These young guys—you’d see some of them sort of walk up and pull back, and their friends would  pull them back. You can see they didn’t really want to fight. Anthropologists discuss this: how males have to do this macho stuff...hierarchical positions.” [Her] “I think they had gambling in there, too.” [Him] “Then at one time, somebody started a fire on one of the cars. That was pretty serious. Then they were ready to sell. They put these apartments up and there’s some really nice people living here. It’s more fun.” [Her] “This was the beginning of change, though. Before, there were a lot of poor people here—so you always had a lot of street traffic. People really knew each other. Because some of the people didn’t work, they were around the neighborhood more—so people used to let kids out to play in the yards. When people moved here [into the new apartments], it was people with more money. It came at the same time—they either must have been cutting a lot of welfare, or the recession was starting—and so a lot of the poor people moved out. It changed the dynamics. I would say that within the last three years, I’m seeing a glut—a glut—of young people moving in which were not here before. You’ve got a lot of kids that can’t make it in Wicker Park.”

[Him] “We don’t hear the gunshots much anymore. Even during the holidays.” [Her] “Not even Fourth of July. Not even New Year’s Eve! It’s boring, actually. The streets are so quiet I can’t stand it! The drama’s gone!”

You mentioned an affection for the neighborhood’s ethnic grocery stores. What are you cooking with your various finds? Do you have a signature dish?

[Him] “She cooks all kinds of ethnic foods. She’s really good.” [Her] “Both of us cook, but we cook simply.” [Him] “We don’t cook vertical. You know what vertical cooking is? If you see any of these things on t.v., the chefs—they look like they’re near sighted and they’re doing this [demonstrates]. The keep piling. The more vertical it is, the more expensive. There’s simple stuff that doesn’t take long, using not that expensive ingredients.” [Her] “No, we just cook in as many cultures as we can.”

Is that something you’ve always done?

[Her] “After I moved here is when we started that.” [Him] “This is a fantastic location.” [Her] “Yeah.” [Him] “Especially within the last three or four years. Because...” [Her] “Go ahead.” [Him] “We are extremely close to some of the best sources of food.” [Her] “That’s right.” [Him] “The variety. Not just ethnic, but even the sort of standard American stuff. Devon Avenue: some of the best, most interesting stores. All the Indian Stores.” [Her] “You’ve got the Russians—they’re pretty much moving out, but you’ve got the Assyrians, the Iraqis there.”

Other than your daughter, what are you most proud of?

[Her] “I’m not proud. I’m happy. I’m old.”

How do you define happiness?

[Him] “Happiness is having few complaints.” [Her] “Few complaints. Right.”

What are you most afraid of?

[Him] “War.” [Her] “I think it’s aging—for both of us. That’s a yucky thing.”

What do you aspire to?

[Her] “Being able to walk down the stairs.” [Him] “Not having a jerk elected. [She laughs loudly] Shithead Trump. Lying, disgusting, dishonest creep. And not all these wars.”

How ‘bout you, personally?

[Her] “Right. That’s not personal stuff!” [Laughing] [Him] “I take my politics very personally! [Reflective pause] It would be nice—she talks about moving—and the only reason would be to be somewhere there’s not tough winters. Old people always complain about winters.The ice. And the cold. This would be an ideal place, without the harshness of winter.” [Her] “I have more aspirations.” [Him] “What more could she want?” [Her] “Yeah, look at this guy I’m married to, huh? I’ve got the grocery stores, the back yard...”

There’s a saying about being kind to everyone you meet, for everyone is fighting a great battle. What are you battling, or working on?

[Her] “I think health is one, and I enjoy the teaching I do. Trying to keep a calm outlook on life is part of it. To be rational. I was a teacher—I taught food and culture at [University of Illinois, Chicago] for a while. That was before. I teach Qigong, which is Chinese health exercises to seniors in the area. I really enjoy that.”

How did you first get into Qigong?

[Her] “Because I was really ill, and I started Tai Chi with a teacher in Evanston. I’m still a student of his. You know, you age out [of tai chi]—and you teach qigong!”

As a teacher, you certainly understand the value of staying engaged and the place of learning as a life-long practice. What’s the last thing you learned?

[Her] “I learned to drive a different car. The Toyota that I was driving was totaled. My daughter found a Saab—which is antithetical to our station in life. Even though it’s a 2001, it’s a big car, and I’m used to not big cars!” [Him] “She just worked on recovering from a tremendous car accident. She was in the hospital and rehab for four months. She just got back in February.”

How does an event like that affect you?

[Her] “I think for one thing, it really brought to the fore that something horrible can happen, and in an instant your life will be changed. Even though you know that and you see it and you read about it, blah, blah. But that happens. And then I think it’s just the enjoyment of being married to him, enjoying my daughter—it’s just the day-to-day things, now. More enjoyment with that.”

[Her] “I think the one thing I’ve become aware of is what we were just talking about: the absurdity of life. It used to be I’d battle against it. And now I just laugh.“

[peopleofrogerspark]

“It’ll be two years [in Rogers Park] in September. I used to live in San Francisco. Originally, I’m from the East Coast. It’s quiet here. Like being in the city without being in the city.”

What are you most proud of?

“I suppose having had the good fortune to live in many cities in the U.S. and Greece for a time.”

If you could live anywhere in the world, would it be somewhere you’ve been before, or somewhere somewhere you’ve always wanted to go?

“No, it’s someplace I’ve been to many times, and I would go back: Monterey, California. It’s close to everything, but far enough away. Perfect climate. It very seldom goes above 75˚. Never much below 55˚.”

What surrounded your opportunity to live in Greece?

“I went there during the ‘Vietnam excursion.’ I was a student, and then I dropped out and had to worry about my number all the time. I stayed on one of the islands and ended up working in a cafe. I didn’t have any visa problems—everyone asks me. It just didn’t exist at that point in history. It wasn’t a problem. I wasn’t hiding out, I was in school sort-of, not. I was studying music at the time.”

What became of that?

“I played for a while professionally, when I was in New York, and I decided I wanted a more stable life. I like to travel, but on my terms. You don’t get to do that.”

What was your instrument?

“Piano.”

If you could have a dinner and sit and have a conversation with any composer, dead or alive, who would it be?

“Probably Verdi. Even though most of it is not keyboard-friendly, in fact it’s all opera as far as I know, I think he was extremely creative and encompassed all the art forms. Dance, acting, singing, orchestral. It was all there.”

What’s your favorite piano piece to play?

“Beethoven’s Sonata No. 24 in F sharp.”

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

“Follow my own drummer.”

But you’re a pianist!

“My inner drummer—let’s put it that way!”

Was it a drummer who told you that?

“No, it’s something my grandmother told me a long time ago. You’ll get a lot of advice, but do what’s intuitively right for you—and you’ll make mistakes. For some people, it’s all been mapped out for them. Thank God that didn’t happen to me. I’d probably be buried by now. I don’t like people imposing on me.”

I often ask people to share about someone who shaped them into the person they are. Is your grandmother that person for you, or would it be someone else?

“Probably she was the most influential.”

If your grandmother were here now, how would she describe you, in three words?

“Artistic, independent, and resolute.”

Would you say you’re a lover, or a fighter?

“Depends on the situation, but most often a fighter.”

If they were going to make movie of the story of your life, what would the title be?

“Rebellion Personified.”

And who would play you?

“This is going back in history, but I’d probably say Richard Chamberlain.”

Do you have a credo or motto for life?

“Do unto others, as they would have done unto them.”

A ponderable twist on the Golden Rule...

[peopleofrogerspark]

“I’ve lived in Rogers Park for three years. We decided not to renew our lease in Edgewater, and as we kept looking we kept moving farther north. We found this beautiful place right on the lake. I have two sons who were very excited about the beach, so we decided to choose being here. I lived in Edgewater for about ten years...I’ve lived in Chicago most my adult life. I moved here when I was in college, as part of an urban studies program.”

“I grew up in Iowa, but I was going to school in southern Minnesota. That college had an urban studies program where you spent a semester in the city studying public policy, volunteering, doing an internship; when I came to Chicago, I fell in love with it. I knew I wanted to live here...then I figured out ways to keep moving to Chicago...I did two more internships here. Pretty much lived here since, except for living out of the country for a year, but I always came back to Chicago.”

What does urban studies entail?

“It’s studying cities—we took a public policy course where every day we met somewhere in the city and listened to speakers. We went to Operation PUSH and heard Jesse Jackson speak. We went to a women’s healthcare center—people who were living and working in the city. Then you did an internship. I did one at the Cook County Jail tutoring inmates, and I did one at the Chicago Children’s Museum, when it was Express-Way Children’s Museum, moving from Lincoln Park to North Pier. A lot of it was studying urban living and solving problems of urban living. It influenced me hugely. I worked with different populations doing art therapy. Right after school I was a teacher for about ten years in different early childhood settings. Now, I work in a hospital—I work part-time as I’m raising two kids.”

You convey a real excitement for learning about, connecting with and helping people; is that something you were inspired to do, learned to do, or do you think you were you born that way?

“My mother was a preschool teacher for twenty eight years. I think when I was ten she went back to work. I remember her talking about it: [She had] a love of working with kids. I had a cousin that I was the godmother of, that was born with Down Syndrome. I was only eleven, but they chose me to be the godmother and I became very close to her. She died at two, from complications of leukemia. I experienced that very young—where I saw the beauty in people that are differently-abled. In college...I worked at a small residential facility...I helped take care of the adolescent residents. One of my kids was autistic and he was non-verbal, but I had a very strong relationship with him. That whole—just because we’re differently-abled, or our I.Q. says something on paper—it’s just a different way of seeing the world.”

“The other thing that hugely influenced me was when I was thirty, I quit my teaching job to move to Tanzania, East Africa. There, I met my now-husband’s mother, and we started a vocational training school for young women. I helped start a study abroad program at the college I went to, but I couldn’t afford to go because it was so expensive. So I made a commitment—I actually bought a ring—promising myself: I will go to Africa. That was my promise. I will get there. I was going to go to Mozambique, because I was in interested in the civil war there, but at the last minute, I wasn’t crazy about the program, and so Tanzania was sort of by default.”

“When I went to Tanzania, it was with a volunteer program...it was non-governmental, non faith-based—I had all these criteria. I did not want to be sponsored by the U.S. government, so the Peace Corps was off the table. What happens is that you pay to volunteer. So I saved my money...and sold everything...I wanted to do something I never did before. So, I was in a copy shop one day [in Tanzania] and I meet this very friendly woman who wants to know where I’m from, and she says ‘I have an empty building and I want to start a school and I want you to join me. Here’s my address, meet me here in two weeks. Here’s some ideas I have.' I just trusted her. I never saw the building. I showed up there and my husband greeted me at the door and made me milk and honey. And we were kinda stuck together for a year in an empty building, starting all these programs. He became my best friend.”

“That was in 2000. I came back after my year. I wanted to see my family. It took about two years to bring him. Mixed in there was September 11th. To bring a single guy from East Africa...it was a process, but he got a visa and then we got married and we’ve been here since. We’re moving back. We’re gonna move the family there in about a year. We still are involved in the school, [there’s a] big youth program that he’s connected with. We have been building a house there for about ten years.”

That’s a big story and those are big plans! What do you aspire to?

“I want my family to be together, working on projects together. Our dream is that we see more of each other. Right now, we work opposite schedules and we’ve done that since the kids were babies so that we were always the ones with them. I work early mornings, he works nights. We’re grateful for what we have. Our dream is that we’re together, working as a family, doing things to help the world. Right now he’s working on project—he designed a toy...modeled on the street toys in Tanzania—that is going to fund this soccer stadium that he hopes to do. I’m sort of the behind-the-scenes muse.”

Who’s your hero?

“Ever since I was young, it’s been sort of big-world changers, like Gandhi, like Martin Luther King—I mean, people that really found something core to dedicate their life to. And then, I would say the everyday women that I met in Tanzania. Neighbors of the school that were maybe four generations that lived together as a community and helped one another and were just full of love and really knew what it was to live life and take care of each other. Everyday people I think about every day.”

Do you have a motto for life?

“Live powerfully, often.”

“Don’t worry about what everyone else says. Sometimes the chance meetings or the things that you follow—if you don’t do those things, you’ll be missing out on amazing people. I’ve experienced that. If I stayed in my comfort zone and didn’t leave because it was scary, and people doubted [it], I wouldn’t have met my husband and had my children...”

“Service to others is a joy and an underestimated thing. Even in my daily life, I volunteer at my children’s school. That two hours a week...working with kids that are struggling with reading or something—brings me so much gratification. If we all just did an hour, or a few hours a month...I really believe that can [create] profound change.”

[peopleofrogerspark]

“Well, I’m from Haiti, right? And I grew up in Canada. I left Canada, went to New York, and I felt like New York was a little too fast for me. I have this friend who lives in Chicago and I always wanted to know about Jean Baptiste duSable which is a Haitian guy, you know—the museum. I think that’s a good place...I said why don’t I come and check out the museum and see what the story is behind it.”

“I was in Haiti in 1973 and the Canadian Prime Minister, who was the father of the Prime Minister who’s in there now—he opened up some sort of thing, a student visa. So I went to Canada to study application engineering. After, I was supposed to go back home. Haiti’s a poor country, I said why don’t I [go] to the United States? I stayed in New York maybe nine months.”

“I lived on the south side first. Then I met my wife on the south side and got married. My brother-in-law moved to Rogers Park. After a while my wife decided she wanted to move to Rogers Park. When I [moved here], I feel close to the lake, like water from the island. It’s very diversified. A lot of nations here. And I’m married to a Spanish girl, and I’m a black guy—I feel like man, it’s good—I’m comfortable here!”

Did you end up working in your field of study?

“Yes, for twenty-five years, for [a company based in Chicago], and [another company] from New Hampshire bought [the first company] and they grandfathered me in. I lived in New Hampshire for a while, but I didn’t like it—it was country-style and stuff like that. Everyone was into hunting, fishing...so I came back here. Here I am, still in love with Rogers Park.”

How would your current wife of nineteen years describe you?

“Gentleman, kind, very sociable. A very nice guy! I think I’m a very nice guy! People are people. I love people, you know?”

What are you most proud of?

“Well, I have four kids...”

Other than your children.

“I don’t know. My parents had a big dream for me. I had a big dream, and then I didn’t really have my big dream. Proud of? I’ve never been in jail, I’ve never been arrested, I don’t have fights with nobody, I’m a very quiet guy.”

“I was on dialysis for three years. I’m a transplant patient. I found a kidney. It’s going to be three years; October 2013. God blessed me—I’m still alive. It made me appreciate life. Dialysis was a very tough experience. I realize that if I were back home, I’d be dead by now. The technology and the government—the social program over there. If I wasn’t in the United States I’d be a dead man, but by being here...I’m still alive.”

Do you have a motto, or words that you live by?

“Be humble. Love my neighbor as I love myself. No enemies."

[peopleofrogerspark]

“I’ve lived in Rogers Park for about four years, now. I grew up in the suburbs. I went to Loyola University for my undergrad. I didn’t live in Rogers Park then—I commuted. It wasn’t very pleasant. During grad school, I went to Loyola again. That’s when I started living here in Rogers Park. I wanted to move out [of the family home] and also I wanted to be somewhere closer to school. It’s been pretty good, I can’t really complain. I feel like Rogers Park has gotten better in recent years. Convenient supermarkets and stuff like that...a lot of good restaurants have popped up, even in the four years I’ve been here.”

“I got an undergrad in physics, ad a masters in chemistry. Now I work at Loyola, while I’m going to school at DePaul [University]. Now I’m doing a teaching masters, like a secondary education masters. I’m planning on teaching high school chemistry and physics.”

Is that something you always wanted to do?

“No. The funny thing is, when I went into Loyola for grad school I was originally doing a PhD. During that time I really did not enjoy research that much. However I had to TA [Teaching Assistant] during that time, and TA’ing was probably my favorite part of the whole graduate experience. Therefore, after maybe a year and a half, I decided to drop out of the PhD program, just complete a masters, and go into teaching.”

As someone who, at a young age, found a new, informed and impassioned path while pursuing a different one—tell me about a time, place, or person who has shaped you, making you the person you are today.

“That’s a tough question. That’s a real tough question. There’s been a lot of positive influences in my life—it’s hard to name just one. There have been a lot of teachers that have influenced me in a positive way. There’ve been a lot of friends, my parents...one example that I could probably give is a teacher in junior high school. I was in this program, a group of students—an advance track. This one teacher taught this group of students for all three years of junior high. He was very involved and very invested in his students. He was kind of like a second father figure at that point. That was probably one of the best educational experiences of my life and probably influenced why I didn’t hate school so much, like a lot of kids do. Also, in high school I was in men’s gymnastics. I wasn’t very good at it, but it was just something fun to do. My friends and the coaches that I met there have definitely influenced me positively a lot in my life.”

To whom have you been a mentor to or whose life have you made a change in?

“I’d like to say that I’ve made a change in my brother’s life—I have a younger brother. He’s one of the closest people in my life. I’d like to say I’ve been a positive influence on him. Hopefully.”

How would your brother describe you, in three words?

“Smart mature brother, maybe? Hopefully.”

What do you aspire to or hope for, other than becoming a high school teacher?

“I really hope to influence as many people as possible to go into the sciences. The sciences is one of my greatest passions. My dream, which is going to sound very much like a dream, is that we are able to completely understand the physics of our universe. To completely understand...and be able to control things we can. That’s my dream for our future. That is not going to happen in my lifetime. Another one of my dreams is to influence another [Albert] Einstein. Maybe some brilliant person goes into the sciences and discovers something like general relativity or special relativity—something revolutionary to the scientific field. I feel like I’m not brilliant to do that myself, but I hope to inspire someone to do that.”

“I feel that people are intimidated by the sciences—it is difficult material—especially in school. A lot of the times in school, the things you learn aren’t always obvious, as to how you can apply them in real life. While it is true, you’re not always going to find a specific solution, or concentration of a solution—or you’re not going to calculate how long a ball is going to take to fall from a one-hundred foot building, the concepts that are involved are very inspirational to me. I’m the type of person that’s curious about everything. How do things work? Even seeing a building, I’m amazed at how humans can build such a thing. As an individual it would be nearly impossible, but with the collective mind—people and the effort of people—it really blows my mind how something as trivial as building a sidewalk...”

You’re amazed at that, and yet you’re ready to take on figuring out the universe...do you think the universe can be deciphered through mathematics, or is there something else out there at work?

“I honestly don’t know. Ask any scientist, they will tell you that they don’t know. Mathematics will explain a very large portion of our universe, but there are a lot of things mathematics can’t explain. I like to learn things, but even when I try to learn things, it’s mind-blowingly confusing.”

So part of your desire to be a teacher is to provide empathy to those who are also overwhelmed, but to encourage and push them along?

“Yeah! Especially the people who are kind of scared. I understand if science is not your thing, but I wish to show those people there’s a lot of respect and admiration that can be found in it.”

What are you most scared of?

“Probably our future. The way things are going, some things aren’t looking so bright. But there’s hope. But there’s also a lot of things that are looking not-so-good.”

Do you have a credo or motto for life?

“Always tell the truth and don’t be a hypocrite.”

That’s a notable way to end our conversation, but is there anything else you’d like to share? To put out into the undiscovered universe?

“This has been a pretty pleasant experience. It’s nice talking to, I dunno—an audience, I guess. Which is part of why I want to become a teacher. I really do hope that, especially in politics, that things get straightened out. Global warming really is an issue, and it saddens me to know that a lot of people don’t even really believe in it. Same thing with very basic scientific concepts, such as evolution. I really wish that when people talk about subjects that they do their research. I’m the type of person to always say I don’t know. I feel like some people get defensive when they don’t know something. Especially when I’m teaching, I want to show that not knowing something is actually a good thing. Admitting that you don’t know something is a good thing.”

[peopleofrogerspark]

“I’ve been here with my partner for about sixteen years. We’re in Chicago for work and in Rogers Park because when we were looking for houses all around the city sixteen years ago, we found that Rogers Park had the diversity we were looking for, but also affordable housing. We’ve got a really nice-sized house, and it was relatively affordable. Those are the primary reasons we ended up here.”

Where did you move from?

“I was in in northern Indiana, and my partner was in Margate Park. We looked at about fifty houses in the city and this is probably about the third one we looked at. We kept coming back here...and just saw a great potential.”

“Rogers Park—we knew it as a diverse neighborhood; a little on the bohemian side. We didn’t realize Rogers Park was as gay as it was, and we were looking for a neighborhood where we could have some assurance that we would feel comfortable and be welcomed in the neighborhood. Boy, we didn’t realize just how gay this particular area of Rogers Park actually is! I need more than two hands to count the gay neighbors we have in just a three block radius.”

“There’s lots of great things about Rogers Park. Probably more than anything else, it’s a really a neighborhood. There are a lot of those in Chicago, but this is not a hyper-commercialized area...you see it’s one single-family home after another, with lots of condo buildings and apartment buildings—it really feels like a neighborhood. We’re often at each other’s houses and barbecues and all of that—and that’s really the best part.”

“Days after we moved in, I remember pulling in from being out running an errand and we had one of our neighbors walking through our back yard with a bottle of wine, saying welcome to the neighborhood. We had an exceptionally warm welcome...but I don’t think that that’s exceptional. I hope that anyone who wants to be a part of the neighborhood is welcomed.”

It can’t be all wine and barbecues; what are some of the drawbacks to your Rogers Park experience?

“Yeah. We’ve had our share of crime right here in this immediate neighborhood. We had some drug-dealing going on. Some of the apartments around here were rented to dealers. We’ve watched that happen and worked with police to weed out that—element, if you will. There’s been some violence. Certainly, not like other areas of the city, but some violence pretty close to home, to borrow that expression. Literally.”

There are plenty of people who might hear or see things going on in their neighborhood and talk disparagingly about it, but for a variety of reasons stop short of putting their concerns into action. It seems like that might require a certain dedication and resolve.

“I don’t know if we would call it dedication, because we do all of that with a bit of reticence—we’re frustrated that we have to do it. It wasn’t so much dedication as inspiration, because a lot of our neighbors have been in this neighborhood since the time when many of these houses were boarded up and there were squatters. They lived through far rougher times than we did. Twenty-five years ago they had corner sit-ins, where they were really pioneers and activists in the neighborhood. We moved in and saw a few problems, they inspired us to do a few things they had done—with them—and don’t just sit back and hide in our living room, looking out the window. Call the police when you need to, go to the C.A.P.S. meetings, go to the neighborhood block club—go to those meetings with the alderman there and talk about what we’re seeing and become more involved. We were inspired by others.”

What do you aspire to?

“I’ll keep it to Rogers Park: I aspire to connecting more with people within the Rogers Park community. Some of the most memorable times living in Rogers Park over the last sixteen years are with other people in the neighborhood. Progressive dinners and things like that—that have just been phenomenal fun—and we need to do more of that. I’d love to have more of those experiences.”

What are you most proud of?

“I’m proud of what we’ve built. This house that we’ve put together. When we bought it, it was in need of a lot of TLC. It’s been a long time and there’s still a hell of a lot to do, but we’re proud of it.”

What trait do you posses that others admire in you?

“I dunno, you’d have to ask others.”

What do you think they’d say?

“I think they’d probly say I’m an open person. Friendly. Open.”

In three words, how would your partner describe you?

“Kind, generous...I was gonna say patient but I’m not sure that he would...he always says I’m smart, but I’m not sure where that comes from.”

Is there anything, any thoughts, smart or otherwise, that you’d like to end our conversation with?

“As tired as it is, I’ll just use and expression that’s come to mind from several conversations over the last couple of days for a variety of reasons: life is short and you shouldn’t sweat the small stuff—it’s definitely not worth it.”

[peopleofrogerspark]

“I’ve been living here seven years. I was living on the south side before...55th and Garfield [Boulevard]...and then I met my wife and she was living on this side of town and I came back with her and that was it. I never liked the north side, I was always a south side guy.”

You didn’t try to convince you wife to move the south side?

“Nah, when I came up here I liked it better. Now I love the north side.”

How would your wife describe you, in three words?

“Good person, hard-working.”

What do you hope for, for your future?

“I hope one day to maybe buy a house in Rogers Park. Single family house. The kind of work I do, I could do my work and it wouldn’t be a problem. I do remodeling. I’ve been doing that for the last fifteen-sixteen years.”

How did you first get into that line of work?

“When I first got here, my friend—that’s what he was doing. So when I first got here I got a job with him and ever since—I like that work.”

When you got here from where?

“I was from Belize. Central America. Belize City. I had my father here...he’d been working here for a long time...he sent for me—my whole family came. When I came here I was twenty-one.”

Was living in the United States something you always thought you’d do?

“Everybody’s dream from third-world countries is to come to America. That was my dream. When you’re living there, you practice everything to come to America. You watch t.v., you watch the Cubs game—it was just like it was a dream come true. I’m a Chicago fan since before I came to America. In Belize, the main channel you watch is channel 9. Channel 9 shows you everything for Chicago. They show everything. You’re a Bears fan, you’re a Bulls fan—you’re just a Chicago fan!”

Can you remember anything in particular from when you first arrived that was the same or very different than what you thought it would be, based on what you’d seen on t.v.?

“I thought was that everything here was beautiful—until I came here. Then I noticed that [there are] old houses, old cars...I mean, I thought that everything was what you see on t.v.—a car for no credit! Until I got here. That was a surprise.”

What are you most proud of?

“Meeting my wife. She’s the one that—that’s just what I hoped for. Her looks, her ways, just everything. She’s Belizean, like me. She’s from there and came just like I came. We met on the south side. She came to my sister’s—she had a barbecue. I saw her and thought ‘that will be mine.’”

So it was love at first sight?

“Yeah. She said that she saw me and that’s how she felt, too.”

How long after you met did you end up moving from the south side to Rogers Park?

“I had just met her for the first time when she came to the barbecue. We both [saw] each other and that was it. I came back with her to the north side and that was it.”

No courtship? No dating? You met once and moved in?

“She saw what she wanted and we just [went] for it.“

What trait do you possess that others admire in you?

“I’m easy to get along with. Always smilin’, friendly.”

What do you think some use some changing, or improved upon?

“Nothing.”

How would you like to be remembered?

“As a good person. Loving person. That’s it.”

[peopleofrogerspark]

“My husband and I—we weren’t married then—came to Rogers Park at Northshore [Avenue] and the beach...I think I was living in Evanston at the time and I was changing careers...a friend of ours lived in that building, and I was trying to talk him into us moving in together; I was like: ‘I found this great apartment!’’’

“We love Rogers Park because it’s groovy. I think the motto for Rogers Park should be ‘Rogers Park: Stay Groovy.’”

Other than groovy, what’s the best part of living in Rogers Park?

“The access to everything: north, south, the lake. I’m a food person; all the food that’s available—all the different food—I think that means the people, too. I just love—well, obviously I’m the same as everyone else—that I just love that people from all over the world are here. I really like that. I find people interesting—just regularly. I’m really interested in languages, I’m interested in people’s backgrounds—I just love people’s stories, which is why I love People of Rogers Park. I love for people to tell me where they came from, wherever they came from, and then tell me all about it—then teach me something in their language. One word, two words—I love that. Give me a recipe, too!”

Can you think of the last word you learned in such a situation?

“Well, I’d have to think. It was probably in Spanish, and it probably wasn’t a nice word.”

So you have a whole personal dictionary of Spanish and foreign-language swear words?

“Yeah. I’ve worked in kitchens, so I have a whole list of Spanish swear words— but you’ve got me on the spot, I can’t think of the last new word I learned.”

What’s a favorite, or one you use on a regular basis?

“Uh...probably just the basic ‘Hola, cómo está?’ I just say hi to everyone when I’m walking and if they say hi to me Spanish—’cause there’s really a lot of Spanish-speaking people here—I like to say it back in non-English. I think it’s more welcoming. And it’s more fun.”

How ‘bout recipes? What’s the last ethnic recipe that you requested and tried out?

“Persian rice. I didn’t know it was such a thing. You have to cook it in such a way—just like polenta—it’s best to have a crust form on the bottom, and there’s a technique for getting that crust...and you have to use Persian basmati rice. Not just your run-of-the-mill basmati rice.”

Were you  able to master it?

“No, not yet. But it came out pretty good—but I can tell you another reason I love being in Rogers Park is that I was able to get Persian rice very easily.”

Tell me about a time, place or person that shaped you; making you the person you are standing here today.

“Do other people get stuck on this?”

Some.

“I think my husband has shaped me the most. He taught me, to, calm, down.”

Was that a necessity, or a personal favor?

“Both. Necessity and favor. I’m go and go and go and go. I’m so goal oriented. We don’t fight very often, but one of our first fights—because we’re so different—I said 'What are you going to do if you’re thirsty? Lay on your back and wait for it to rain!?’ I said that to him twenty years ago. And now, I tend to lay on my back and wait for it to rain. He taught me that. It’s still a struggle for me. I struggle first, and then I lay down.”

Did you reciprocate by teaching him anything?

“Uhm, Yes—to be not quite so laid back. He’s very earthy, I’m very fiery. I think it’s a really great combination. We make it work for us. It causes problems in some relationships, but I think that if you take what is beneficial from your partner and learn from it rather than fight against it, I think it works out really great. It did for us. He hasn’t left me yet!”

If they were going to make a movie of the story of your marriage, what would the title be?

“Best Friends In Love. You’re gonna make me choke up! [Gets emotional, laughs, collects herself] I would say Best Friends In Love.”

Who would play your part in this story?

“Helen Mirren.”

And who would play your husband?

“Mark Ruffalo. [Laughs heartily] It’s a December-May romance.”

Does that reflect reality, or—

“It’s just how I’d like to see it played.”

How would your husband describe you, in three words or less?

“Fiesty, creative, sweet-on-a-good-day.”

What’s your idea of the perfect day?

“Wake up, cook, bake, have people over to eat. Feed people.”

When’s the last time you did that, and who was in attendance?

“Last Sunday. Our regular Sunday dinner person; our friend Rocco.”

Do you have have a credo or motto for life?

“Stay interested. Stay young in your mind. Always have as much fun as you possibly can.”

[peopleofrogerspark]

“About three years ago...I moved from Texas; northeast Dallas: Rowlette. I lived in the same house for twenty-two years. Lived there all my life. Got tired of it. Seeing my brother traveling the world, I was extremely jealous. I visited [Chicago] in March and moved [in] July.”

What was your brother doing, traveling the world?

“I don’t know what he does as work. He’s very charismatic—he just always wanted to travel the world...he does odd jobs. I remember one year he traveled to Australia, just to pick fruit.”

Other than wanderlust, what brought you to Chicago?

“I was in school for graphic design. It was either between L.A. or New York. New York was a little too fast for me, and L.A. was a little too expensive for me—Chicago was the median. That’s how I ended up here. I’m moving more into tech now, like I.T.”

What do you aspire to?

“I’m kinda living day-by-day, trying to figure out what would make me happy, really. I’m still learning what I can aspire to, what I want to be, what keeps me happy.”

Right now, how do you define happiness?

“Right now, it’d be financial stability. I’m not even kidding.”

If I were actually the Prize Patrol, and had a lifetime supply of money waiting for you, what’s the first you’d do?

“I’d go to San Francisco and eat. I visited one year; my friends invited me out— ‘Just come, we’ll take care of everything.’ I had the best experience...the best food I’ve ever had.”

If they were going to make a movie of the story of your life, what would the title be?

“It would be extremely boring. It’d be called The Guy Who Stays In Too Much. I don’t like going out.”

And you see what happens when you do—some guy takes your picture and starts asking questions!

“I don’t mind. The only reason I’m out is because of Pokemon Go [mobile video game]. It’s such a dumb game, but it makes me want to go out. I wouldn’t even be out here talking to you if I didn’t want to hatch my eggs.”

Do you have a secret talent?

“I can wiggle my ears. That’s about it.”

What trait do you possess that others admire in you?

“Humor? I’m very sarcastic—always trying to make people laugh.”

What trait would you like to change or improve upon?

“Just get a grasp on the mental illness. I’m open to be frank about depression and anxiety, because people should know more about it. Some people don’t even know they might have it because they may be thinking ‘oh, I need to just not be lazy.’ It could be something more than that. If you suffer from mental illness...always seek help. Always talk. Always talk about it. It’s extremely scary to talk to a therapist, but you have to do it. Do it once. It won’t hurt, and you’ll discover more about yourself—on a path to happiness.”

[peopleofrogerspark]

“I had to move away from the hustle and bustle of Lakeview. It’s very plastic. I felt like people are people here. In other neighborhoods, they’re other people’s people...not their own identities. They’re not genuine. I’ve been in Chicago for ten years. I’ve been in Rogers Park for a year. There’s no dramatic events happening [here].”

Is being a nurse something you’ve always wanted to do?

“I didn’t know that was exactly what I wanted to do. I knew that I had to do something where I felt useful. I can be smart or useful at the same time. [Usually] you can be one or the other, but not at the same time.”

“I got really bad care at a hospital. Our friends go to the hospital our family—would you want someone receiving care from a bad person? And what’s the best way to fix the problem but to be a part of the solution—instead of letting someone else do it? No. Through my example, I hope people will see this person who is all about people—it’s kind of why I moved to [Rogers Park]. I want to connect with people. Not plastic magazine dolls that have to dress a certain way.”

What do you most like about being a nurse?

“The way I look in my scrubs. Nah, I’m just kidding! I don’t have to feel ashamed about what I do. When I go to bed, I can be proud of what I did and I know that I’ve helped somebody who’s lost and alone and needed help.”

I often ask people what they’re most proud of, but I think you may have just answered that.

“I did get that high score one time in Donkey Kong.”

How long have you been nursing?

“Four years. I started out in the hospital, then I went from the hospital to the clinic, and now I’m a traveling nurse. I get to travel the country—go to places that are in need of staff.”

What’s your most notable nurse story?

“There’s many of them. A ton of them. That’s what I like about this industry. Dolly Parton writes her songs and she calls them her children. She knows where she was and what she [was doing] for every song...every experience is special to me—well, not every one.”

“In my off-time, I volunteer with the American Diabetes Association. I was at a diabetes camp this past week. They give me all the problem children—I got one of the kids nobody wanted to take care of. At the end of the week—he said he loved me. This is this kid who’s operating his own insulin pump...and I just treated him like a kid. [He’s] six. Everything went black for a second ‘cause I rarely hear those words from anyone. I’m thinking—six years old: he doesn’t want anything from me. He’s not trying to sell me anything. I scanned all the possibilities and decided he just genuinely felt that way. Came to that conclusion. I did not give him the benefit of the doubt. We go through life searching for people we can understand and communicate with, and I guess this kid found someone.”

Who’s your hero?

“My grandfather. He’s the first person who taught me that just because you read a book doesn’t mean you’re a smart person. There’s different types of intelligence. He was in the Navy, and a handyman. I thought he was not intelligent at all until one day—I skipped school to go to the arcade and he’s the one who knew where I was and found me—he knew where I would be, when I would be there. It boggles my mind that somebody can know someone else so well. It was a very humbling experience. Just because I knew algebra and he didn’t, didn’t make me a smarter person. He defeated me and I thought: this guy—I need to pay attention to this one. I was twelve.”

Any other life lessons or words of advice you’d like to close with?

“Never drink something stronger than you are. Or older.”