Doolin: A new you in 2012? Some sacrifice goes a long way

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Lauren Ramski, Natalie Bjorklon and Brandon Rosales cheer as the St. Xavier University football team entered a rally celebrating their NAIA national championship. | Larry Ruehl~Sun-Times Media

Updated: February 23, 2012 8:17AM

The neighborhoods of the Southland are back to normal now that the holiday lights have been taken down (mostly) and another holiday season has passed all too quickly. We also have put away all the interior holiday decorations (mostly) and returned what needs to be returned.

On the sports scene, we’ve crowned an NAIA national football champion with the St. Xavier Cougars, the Bears are out of the NFL playoffs, Mike Martz and Jerry Angelo have been fired, the NBA is unlocked, the NHL is in full swing with high Blackhawks hopes, the Daytona 500 is getting revved up, and Tim Tebow won a playoff game because Jesus wanted him to and lost one, well, apparently for the same reason.

2011 has come to an end, but not without some reflection and a look at the names and faces that have made a difference, for good and for bad.

We can gossip about the disgraceful fall of our former governor, Rod Blagojevich, Charlie Sheen and his bizarre antics, the stunning verdict that let Casey Anthony walk out of a Florida courtroom or the split between Demi and Ashton, and the list goes on. Who cares?

The Southland is full of folks who have made a positive difference in our communities and whom we should recognize and aspire to emulate in 2012. People such as Kari Roberts, who donated a kidney to her brother to save his life. Those who give freely of their time and talent such as the hundreds of PTA and PTO volunteers who keep activities and funds flowing into our public schools.

Like the Chicago Chargers inner-city football coaches, who won a national championship, and the countless other coaches in various youth sports who donate their time to mentor our kids and teach them the values of competition, sportsmanship and teamwork.

These are the people, the everyday men and women, who really matter.

Besides looking back, this is the time of year where we aspire to do this and make a resolution to do that. Well, maybe it’s OK just to be you. The person who gets up, goes to work, comes home and provides for their family. Who contributes time, money and energy when they can to causes that matter and impact their community.

Throughout the Southland, there are countless people who make our communities better, people we’d like to see on the cover of People magazine. People like 6-year-old Calei Clark, who organized and collected many hundreds of shoes to be shipped to Haiti. Like Rocky Clark, who never gave up after suffering a paralyzing injury on the gridiron and inspired us with his positive outlook, even with a heavy heart. Like Robert Miller, who organized and donated coats to Lincoln Elementary School in Chicago Heights. Like the anonymous donor who donated $500,000 to St. Gerald Parish in Oak Lawn to build an activity center.

The list goes on. To you all, we say thank you for your commitment in 2011, and we look forward to your accomplishments in 2012.

So we enter another new year, vowing to keep our resolutions and be a better person and wondering whether we can really do so. Someone very special to me pointed out the obvious that I could not see. She said, “Just be thankful for what you have, enjoy the life you have been given and never forget everything can change in an instant.”

I thank her for the subtle reminder that the life we lead is precious and what we do with it does make a difference. Try to find some time this year to help those who are in need, who are less fortunate. It will make you that better person.

It’s regular people like yourselves who are the essence of a community, who keep the Southland moving forward. New year, new opportunities, new you.

Happy New Year!

John Doolin is an Oak Forest resident and South Division advertising director for Sun-Times Media.