From the Saturday, Jan. 6, editions of The Daily Journal (Kankakee, Ill.) and The Times (Ottawa, Ill.) …
The WISCH LIST
Wish lists are for Christmas.
But Wisch Lists? Well, just like every year, they’re for New Year’s.
My “Wisches” for 2018 are a bit belated as my wife and I spent the holidays out of state, first in Florida (visiting family for Christmas) and then in Charleston, S.C., (where we celebrated the New Year).
The weather was far from warm while we were in Charleston – the city was blanketed with near-record 5-inch snowfall the day after we left town – but it was, of course, still far warmer than it’s been in frigid Illinois the past few weeks.
And as we enter icy 2018 following a 2017 that featured too much fiery political rhetoric and too many chilling allegations against powerful men from D.C. to Hollywood to many points between, here are some things that I hope to see in what’s hopefully not just a New Year, but ultimately a better one too.
I Wisch that I didn’t start 2018 with a nasty cold.
I Wisch that Illinois – and, really, the entire country – didn’t do the same.
I Wisch every year could see Bill Murray stroll into my hotel bar and sit down near me, which is exactly what happened last weekend in Charleston, where Murray has a home. If he’d been alone, I would have dropped him a “Go Cubs,” but Murray was with a trio of friends and I didn’t want to intrude.
I Wisch I knew what a Golden Cadillac tasted like, which is the after-dinner cocktail that Murray ordered – at 4 p.m. I’ll have to find out this year.
I Wisch to see Jake Arrieta in Cubs pinstripes for 2018.
I Wisch to see Bryce Harper do the same a year from now.
I Wisch anyone could be confident that the Bears and Bulls know what they’re doing.
I Wisch to see Harvey Weinstein in prison.
I Wisch to see Hollywood show some humility during this year’s Oscars.
I Wisch again for patience from University of Illinois fans. Don’t underestimate the crater that Lovie Smith has to dig the program out from. And in regards to hoops, Brad Underwood isn’t a miracle-maker, he’s a basketball coach – a far better one that John Groce. Just give him some time.
I Wisch to see Amazon choose Chicago for its HQ2. The city, in spite of its many flaws, is a wonderful place to live and work, and offers an array of excellent locations for the company to build, expand and grow jobs.
I Wisch to see the White Sox and Cubs in a World Series someday. I’m not sure how Chicago would handle it, but I’m certainly curious to find out.
I Wisch Kim Jong-Un wasn’t someone who needs to be taken seriously.
I Wisch that more people had listened to Mitt Romney’s warnings about Russia five years ago instead of foolishly mocking him for it.
I Wisch that our president would just log off Twitter.
I Wisch the University of Illinois would embrace the Peoria Tribe of Oklahoma – the closest remaining link to the Illini confederation – and find new ways to authentically honor the proud people who lived in this state before us.
I Wisch there was a simple solution to Chicago’s violence.
I Wisch to see the stock market keep on booming.
I Wisch to see ISIS continue to be decimated.
I Wisch that Chicago and Illinois would stop losing population. But we still need to fix our politics.
I Wisch to never see Kyle Schwarber bat leadoff again.
I Wisch pitchers and catcher reported yesterday.