I was used to the lights and sounds that comes from a big city.
When my aunt told me she was taking me to Chicago, I was thinking the big city.
Instead of the city of Chicago, she took me to a small suburb that was named Alsip. I was devastated. Alsip was less than 200,000 people and had little to see or do. Not only was there very little to do, but the entire three days we were there, it snowed. There was nothing but blustery winds, cold rain and snow, whenever we walked out of the hotel. I asked her why she brought me here, and she said she wanted to take me back to my roots. There was more family history in Alsip, IL than anywhere else in the state. I asked if we couldn’t just stay in the hotel where there was excellent HVAC, but she said no. I should get used to the cold and the snow, and realize my ancestors had to deal with it without HVAC. I looked at her, and listened while she told me we were spoiled. She took me to a small cemetery called Burr Oak. She pointed out some of the more familiar names that are associated with our family, and some not so familiar. She gave me the history of Burr Oak, and after an hour, said it was time to go back to the hotel. As I shivered on the way back, I was thinking about everything she told me. Going back in time wasn’t so bad, and I found out much about my family, but I was glad to be in the heat of the HVAC at the hotel.