Super Sunday III: Sunday Dinner In Rogers Park

Location: United Church Of Rogers Park

Date: Sunday, May 12, 2013; 4:30-7:30 pm

A couple of days ago, I had received an email from Chicago Cares warning me that my projects were overlapping and unless I took myself off one of them, they would be forced to do so themselves.  I responded by saying that I was coordinating with Wilson and that he was going to drive me to the next one himself.  I had copied Wilson on my response and he replied saying that the two projects were within 5 minutes of driving and we would arrive at our next stop before the main activity began.  So  we rushed towards the United Church Of Rogers Park right at 4:30 and arrived a little after 4:45; but with plenty of time to spare before the dinner service. 

As I finished washing my hands, Wilson asked if I had sung ‘Happy Birthday’ twice – a ritual that is designed to get rid of all bacteria on your hands!  We went to the main dining area, where the guests had arrived and Jody was assigning duties.  Wilson and I were going to be running today while we had an assembly line of servers ready to go, including Tash, who is becoming a regular at Chicago Cares events.  I walked down the line to see tonight’s menu and we were serving barbecue glazed chicken, rice with black beans, green beans, fruit salad, clam chowder soup and either cherry or blueberry pie.  As with last time, Jody would be directing the runners towards the appropriate tables and I was the first one with the plate.  Jody was at a table and when I got there, she said that since it was ‘Mother’s Day’, the women at the table should be served first.  It sounds like an appropriate protocol to me, no matter what day.

Mmm...Pie

The assembly line was moving efficiently and we were serving in record time.  There weren't many special requests, though one gentleman asked for nothing but green beans.  He did not want the rice or chicken or anything else.  I whispered to Wilson that he must be on Atkin’s diet or something, but we were happy to oblige.  Soon everyone was served and I moved to the kitchen to help with the dishes.  The previous time Wilson had explained the merits of drying using two towels and as soon as I went inside, he tossed me a couple.  Tash joined us and we started chatting about various things, including my day-time job.  As I explained the concepts of Energy Management to everyone, Wilson asked why a computer couldn't do my job, since most of it is based on data interpretation.  I said that decisions we make are sometimes different for each of our customers and not all conclusions can be socialized based on the output of a calculation.  This is true of most things in life and especially so in some of the projects we do with Chicago Cares.  Personal attention is critical and successful businesses and human beings are those who do not apply the same formula or behavior with everything and everyone.  A computer is programmed; humans operate on instincts and situations. 

Wilson had to leave for his Mom’s and another volunteer took his place by my side to dry the dishes – but with just one towel.  We talked about musicals and shows and when I told her how much I liked ‘The Phantom Of The Opera’, something she was not a fan of, we had a healthy debate on the merits of the show.  I have always believed that the more popular something gets, there comes a tipping point where people start disliking it because of its popularity.  It’s true of movies, shows, songs, books, celebrities, athletes and sometimes, even people!  The ridiculousness of this thought is laughable and I for one do not want to get into an argument with someone who follows this line of thinking.  If you do not like all of the things I mentioned because of their quality, I completely understand because everyone’s tastes and standards are different.  But if you teach – even convince - yourself to dislike because you want to be differentiated, well then you are missing out on good things in life and I never want to miss out on greatness – be it a person or a performance. 

The washing and drying was taking forever and at one stage Tash took over the washing duties.  The assembly line had 4 stations – Scrubbing, Wash, Rinse and Sanitize.  While Tash was responsible for the last three, our Volunteer leader for the day, Raj, was doing the dirty job of scrubbing.  He was a popular guy with the regulars and I could see why.  A great leader always sets an example and leads from the front – Raj was doing that.  After a lot of wiping, we were finally done, and so was the crew cleaning the main dining area.  I left for the train station and realized that this was the farthest North that I have been for a project.  As I came home to unwind, I reflected on this triple-header day that had started promisingly before hitting a few bumps in the road.  But then I had spent a wonderful afternoon with my friends at Pat Cowley House and learned something ennobling from them and Wilson.  Finally, I had an opportunity to serve alongside heroes like Jody and others in Rogers Park.  On this one day, I was on teams helping eliminate Cancer, Senior Isolation and Hunger – It was a Super Sunday indeed.