Election Days and Kitchen Table Conversations
Growing up in Chicago meant politics and family. Conversation about the issues was basic yet poignant. This is a story about my home in a Chicago bungalow on a Mayoral Election Day in 1964.
My dad, Jim Conley, was no heavy-hitter in Chicago politics in the '60s, but he was a precinct captain for the Austin District. It was a position he held for a number of years. I don't recall how long he performed that task. I just remember that eveybody in the neighborhood knew him. All I could understand was that when someone had a problem that needed fixing, they'd call my dad. Anyway come Election Day, he got the vote out for "The Boss," Mayor Richard J. Daley. It was about 6:30 p.m. on a cool, damp April evening. He'd been out since sunrise and finally made it home. He stood for a moment at the coat closet next to the door that led to the second floor bedrooms. There he took off his deep-brown fedora hat, revealing the red-gray …
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Pat Maita
8:37 pm on Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Fun memories. I love the kiss on the forehead. more ›