A Chilly George Washington's Birthday in Chicago

I think it's more likely that the average Wilmette resident has seen the original statue of George Washington on horseback in Paris than the copy that is in Chicago's South Side and pictured to the right. This statue of George Washington is located in Washington Park at 51st and Martin Luther King Drive, and I don't think I've ever been there. If it wasn't so cold, I would take a Sunday sightseeing drive for a look-see in honor of George Washington's birthday.

I don't think many people celebrate Washington's birthday anymore. That is a shame, because George Washington was America's greatest president and the most important hero and patriot in our country's history. Cherry pie used to be a featured items in all the stores around his birthday, based on the old story that George Washington chopped down a cherry tree as a youth. While pie isn't exactly a healthy food--and I don't care too much for it myself--there was no cherry pie in sight at Jewel when I went shopping yesterday. That is a shame, because or eating one with family and friends was guaranteed to move the conversation to George Washington's virtues. They were many, and our politicians today would do well to contemplate them, whether over a cherry pie or not.

Happy George Washington's Birthday! Hope you spend some time today discussing him and his impact upon the United States with your family or friends.