😅 High schoolers are only cool when they're lying

Ben Joravsky's rivalries becoming life-long friendships. [READER]( The Daily Reader December 12, 2023 Back in my (not really) glory days as a young scholar at Evanston Township High School, I had a dear friend named Josh, with whom I shared an occasionally contentious relationship. Frequently, we tried to outdo each other as to who was cooler—a hilarious competition given that there was nothing particularly cool about either one of us. I contend Josh started the “Who is Cooler” competition when we met on day one of high school. He emphatically let me know that even though he lived in Evanston, he was not from Evanston. He was from Hyde Park. He only lived in Evanston cause his parents moved the family there. Moreover, if it were up to him, he’d never have left Hyde Park. Which to me seemed like a very cool place to be from. So . . . In a desperate attempt to outcool Josh, I told him my dad was Al Spangler. Who, at the time, was the right fielder for the Cubs. OK, a few clarifications . . . My dad was not, nor has he ever been, Al Spangler. Not even sure why I selected Al Spangler, (out of all the major league baseball players) to be my dad. Spangler’s was probably just the first name that popped into my mind. Guess you can say I lied—or at least fibbed. The point is . . . fib or lie, it got Josh to stop bragging about being from Hyde Park and start begging me to introduce him to my father. Eventually, I confessed. He forgave me, and our friendship thrives to this day, even though we haven’t lived in the same city in years. In fact, Josh recently emailed a delightful birthday greeting that consisted of Martin Short singing me a birthday song to the tune of “I Will Survive,” one of the greatest disco songs ever! I loved it, as I love Martin Short almost as much as I love Gloria Gaynor and her great song. In appreciation I sent Josh a thank you text, exclaiming that I love Martin Short so much that I saw him and Steve Martin perform their comedy show at Ravinia. To which Josh, obviously impressed, texted, “Wow. You saw Martin Short at Ravinia? That’s cool!” And when he wrote that, I did sorta feel cool—though there’s probably not a soul under 65 who thinks seeing Short & Martin at Ravinia (or anywhere) is cool. Anyway . . . Fast forward a few days, and I’m walking down the street thinking about this and that—and it hits me . . . I never saw Martin Short and Steve Martin at Ravinia! I had intended to see their Ravinia show, having seen and loved their Netflix special, but I never got around to buying the tickets. And now I feel guilty because I misled my old friend. OK, it’s not as bad as telling him my father is Al Spangler. But you might argue it’s almost in the same ballpark. So, Josh, if you’re reading this . . . I didn't see Martin Short at Ravinia. And I was not trying to make you think I was cool when I said that. It was just my old brain conflating one thing with another. You’re still way cooler than me, hailing from Hyde Park and everything. Also, my dad was definitely not Al Spangler. He was Paul Newman. Just kidding—though that would be cool! Love you, Josh! 🎙Listen to [The Ben Joravsky Show]( 🎙 [What Ben's Reading] [Zadie Smith’s]( latest novel, The Fraud. Another masterpiece from the great Ms. Smith. A slice of Charles Dickens with a 21st century sensibility. [Kerry Reid]( on Jackie Taylor and Black Ensemble Theater’s The Other Cinderella [Ben Joravsky]( (from 1988) on the Oak Park mall [Best of the Ben J. Show]( Chicago Sun-Times editorial board member and columnist [Rummana Hussain]( on flying the flag. Injustice Watch’s [Maya Dukmasova and Mick Dumke]( of Block Club Chicago: farewell to First Tuesdays (at least for now). Attorney [Adolfo Mondragon]( the best Burke trial coverage. [These multimedia artworks hint at new beginnings]( Artists Jessica Tucker and Bun Stout use tech and mythology to ask questions about identity. by [Micco Caporale]( | [Read here]( → [The Buttcracker plays it naughty and nice]( The burlesque take on Tchaikovsky’s ballet features homegrown charm and diversity. by [Emily McClanathan]( | [Read here]( → [Promises, Promises gets a rare revival with Blank Theatre]( The musical version of The Apartment shines in a small but spirited staging. by [Kerry Reid]( | [Read here]( → [University of Chicago unions join forces in fight for a fair contract]( Nearly 6,000 graduate students and medical workers are turning up the pressure on the university after months of bargaining without an agreement. by [Pascal Sabino]( | [Read here]( → Best of Chicago is BACK! Voting opens tomorrow (12/13) at noon! Check out the ballot now - voting runs until January 14, but you won't want to leave it till the last moment! 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