sometimes,
it

pays

to

have

a
plan......

A Study of
The "Happy Heart"
Strategy

When I was in junior high, I remember being encouraged to stay after school one day and not for the usual reason, but to participate in a chess tutorial being offered by a volunteer group. Against my better judgement, I finally agreed.

Any voluntary time spent on school grounds usually meant that the obligatory "empty your pockets, give us your money and here's a punch in the mouth just in case" daily scenario would play out and that "you were dumb enough to ask for this and so you deserve it" tag would be pinned on your shirt for all to see. It was not in anyone's best interest, if you valued your health, to own this scarlet letter. Being a complete innocent then, it still only took one of these "punch in the mouth" events to alert my fight or flight instinct and "live to fight another day" was a theory you had no choice but to subscribe to.

I might have been innocent but I'm a quick study and I, like most other mammals, adapt well to my environment.

Chess Mate

So I participated in the Chess Tournament and was given a chair along side my classmates and stared wide eyed and curious at the familiar checkerboard but with the fascinating little plastic figurines that immediately sparked my imagination. I was 13 and it was the first time in my life I had heard or seen of this "brand new board game". We were given a brief history by one of the volunteers and I was dumbfounded to learn that chess was not a "Brand New Milton Bradley must have gift at Christmas". Apparently, there was quite a little history baked into those shiny black and white rooks and knights.

I liked the horses immediately. Two steps in any direction and then a sidestep to avoid danger. I applied this wise strategy the very next day as I weaved out of reach from the inevitable " just in case punch" that was thrown in my direction and after my lunch money was taken out of my not so secret, sock location again. I did make note of the quite puzzled expressions all around. Hhhmmm. I liked this game.

Many profound lessons were learned that late afternoon as I outlasted all my classmates and all the volunteers and eventually won the chess trophy. My teachers and classmates realized, that perhaps I wasn't as dumb as I looked and that maybe there were other reasons for my poor grades and attention defecit. I realized that it pays to have a plan because without a plan in chess, you lose to those who do. As a frightened and distrustful kid, the "against my better judgement" leap of faith was rewarded and paid dividends immediately. Every once in a while during my childhood, dedicated teachers and volunteers stepped into my little life and gently pointed me in the right direction. I will never forget those people.

How can we ever repay teachers for the profound impact they have on our children. If I were king, teachers would earn more $ than any, of even the sharpest corporate executives in our country. Certainly more than any politician and that includes this president who seems quite overpaid, imho.

fellas, did you think this through?

OK, back to the "Happy Heart". When this post first appeared on Hellhole, I have to admit, I was again, dumfounded. This photo of an obnoxiously pink, stuffed to the gills, plushy but don't sqeeze me too hard because I might ooze something, smiley thing was actually proudly set in the window of the Aldermans new campaign office.

"What?????.
This has to be a mistake.
They can't be serious, can they?"
Well, unfortunately, I believe they are.

As Craig pans closer, we see even more of this brilliantly conceived strategy on public display. The little darling is is not the genderless, let's all be happy and can't we all get along philosophical plaything I assumed it was, at first glance. NO, our new urban and ultra sophisticated Rogers Park mascot with a suburban mall marketing twist was actually quite gender specific. He was hoisting a pennant with a reference to a particular "bad seed" lurking within our neighborhood. Oooh, better watch out ! I have to admit, I did appreciate the Community Crime Alert. Perhaps, this is sign of better things to come.

But hold on. now.
Wait a minute.
Wait a minute. Didn't they say that no one........well......., I guess someone in the Aldermans camp is reading the blogs, despite "thy might protest too much" rebuttals to the contrary. Honestly Craig, I might proudly wear that feather in my cap for awhile too. They can say what they will about the Hellhole, but Craig certainly has gotten their attention. Nicely done and proud to know you too.

G r o u p T h i n k

This all got me to thinking about the process by which this carefully, knee jerked scheme was originally hatched. I think it might be a tad bit unhealthy to only rely on the same group of people, year after year, when devising a strategy or heaven forbid, a comprehensive plan.Sometimes it pays dividends to take a peek outside the little insider box. Sometimes and only sometimes mind you, a fresh set of eyes and ear to the ground, objective review of an idea, from an outsider's perspective, might possibly highlight a strategically and hole ridden concept such as this traveling "Happy Heart" show.

GroupThink

The GroupThink, bobble headed and always nodding in the affirmative, instant decision without thinking it through, process for progress, might result in more of those unfortunate, uninteneded consequences we all keep talking about. This might not be a good thing, in the big picture.

And to verify this observation, we have learned by word from Uncle Crabby, that the strategy has indeed traveled and found a brand new home. Upon closer and cursory inspection, it is revealed that "Happy" is no longer hoisting his pennant. And what might we conclude from this bit of information?

Did someone DeepInside suddenly realize the error in the "bad seed" acknowledgement? Hhhhmmm....... I think not. I think the Aldermans' office should build on it's Community Crime Alert initiative and issue another. Why, you ask? Because my understanding is, that on the walk over to 1431 Fargo from Greenleaf, innocent and defenseless little "Happy" got robbed. This is not surprising these days because other neighbors have been telling us of their tragic stories lately too.

And so there crouches "Happy" in the window of ..........what did you say? The Aldermans' resident voting address? Could that be right, Hugh? I'm sorry, this strategy is way too deep for me. I'm stumped.

But there is that smile again. But now, the smile is not the I'm happy, so you're happy smile that we are being forced to feel. This is more a grin and bare it smile of someone who has experienced what we all hope doesn't happen to any of us. And this smile is more apropriate because this is how many of us actually feel these days.

Is anyone listening? Or reading?........................nah.

So because they knee jerked it, I'm afraid they are getting just what they deserve. More unintended consequences. But why do we have to pay for their mistakes, in our little neck o' the woods? I don't believe we should.

OK, Now What?

So I guess there is a new address in store for our little neighbor and where might that be? The insiders must have a plan and considering the 15 year history, that is the benign neglect record of Progressive initiatives for North of Howard, "Happy" never will visit my neighborhood. It's probably better that way, anyhow. Little traumatized "Happy" is already jittery as it is. Walking to Howard Street only to sit defenseless in one of the dusty old and empty storefronts, will not help our little neighbors' state of mind.

The symbolism would be powerful though. A big heart braving all and against all odds. It might actually be the first time in recent memory that some real Progressive compassion was shown to my Neighbors in my North of Howard neighborhood.

Gary Fuschi



You remember to be "Happy" now.




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