One Nation, Under God

Ramblings of a city boy

Last week marked the start of the 2014 Major League Baseball season. With that comes countless hours of looking up at my phone and away hoping the little blips on the screen indicate a score from my Chicago White Sox or a strikeout, double or triple play from their defense.

Those “blips” on the screen remind me that I do not have cable and I will not likely see a Chicago baseball game, basketball game or football game because I’m not in the Windy City anymore.

There are a few things I miss about the big city, but I am learning that small town living isn’t all that bad.

The first thing I learned about living away from home is, the experience is not indicative of the place you live. Its not about having to drive nearly 300 miles to find the nearest major airport, or thousands off mosquito bites I endure yearly. Its not about only having to choose from two cell phone company.

Its not about the having every store or restaurant you’ve ever wanted being a block away from your house or watching any major league sport you’ve wanted...

It’s about the company you keep.

The saying from the good book goes “bad company corrupts good character.”

So far the company in Malta has been one-of-a-kind. Being possible the only African American within 100 miles of the next one, I haven’t faced any puerile forms of bigotry or racism.

The people of this county have treated me and my family as one of their own.

I remember the joy it brought my wife to hear my response to the question “where are you from?”

Typically, my response would be ‘I’m from Chicago but I live in Malta.’ Lately, I’ve dumbed down my long response to simply ‘Malta.’

That to me, says one thing. I’m proud to live in Malta. Proud enough that at the moment, I plan to live and raise a family here.

Though my future children can’t watch the television and anticipate the next generation of White Sox players winning the World Series, they can watch the Malta Mustangs and M-ettes attempt to dominate Class B sports. Then maybe they’ll participate one day.

My kids may never be as connected to Chicagoland as I once was. They probably won’t be as enamored with the Bulls, Sox or Bears, as I was growing up. But that’s okay. Being a sportswriter for high school sports has helped quench the hunger.

I never dreamed that I would live in a community with a less than 20:1 student-teacher ratio. It looks like my kids will have that luxury with quality teachers and resources.

I’m glad that Malta’s school system still holds some sense of morality, where other schools across the country are presenting sketchy books on human anatomy and unnatural human relations.

There are more characters here I can trust than in any other placed I have lived, because this isn’t the fast lane. Oh no, there are people here who drive well under the speed limit.

The only quick talkers here are the girl scouts. (Who doesn’t love thin mints or Samoas anyway?)

Enough I’s and me’s... Play Ball!!!!

 

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