Latoya
July 17, 2023 Will make thirteen years since I've been in North Chicago. I moved here from the city. I used to live in the Roseland area but by the time I came out here, I was living in Riverdale. That's the south suburbs.
I got here because my mom was living here first. She rented a house. Her landlord had another house and he wanted to know who wanted to rent it, so I took it. I was raising two young black teenagers, so I was wanting to get them out of the city.
With your mom being here prior to you moving, you must have had at least an idea of what living here would be like.
I didn't really, to be honest with you. I looked at the distance. I didn’t think I wanted to go that far. Me and my brother have been roommates since November 2004. He was like, “If you want to live out there, I'll move out there with you.” He always has my back.
I had my little problems here– especially, you know, being new. I'm raising sons… it's it's been a little somthin'. But I think as a parent, you're going to always worry regardless of where you’re at. North Chicago is a decent town.
I'm quite sure you talk to a lot of people that have been here and say “North Chicago– how it was back then…” but I'm coming to how North Chicago is now. It’s a small town, and I’ve noticed it’s got its good sides and it's got its problems. You have a lot of people coming from the city, and then a lot of them ain't good people. [chuckles]
Wait. You yourself came from the city!
I know, but I'm just telling the truth! Keepin’ it real.
I don’t really know anyone here. It’s bad when you live on a block for almost 10 years and you don't know your neighbors. A lot of people don’t talk to anyone, now. When I was growing up back in the day, you knew your neighbors, your neighbors knew you. They see you doing something: “Latoya, I'm gonna tell your momma!” You know what I'm saying? It's not like it used to be anymore.
What’s been your best experience since moving to North Chicago?
I used to stay on 16th and Seymour, and there's a church called First Corinthians. I like the pastor that was there. I was going through a lot of stuff at the time when I first moved out here, so he he he really helped me with getting myself together.
I grew up in church, but you know, as you get older you kind of get away from it. You see a lot of people like religions and they're judgmental– and that kind of pushes you away. It was something about the pastor at First Corinthians. He made me feel comfortable. He made me really feel, and made me learn: you don't go to church for people, you go to church to get the word. To learn about God.
You've got to have mercy and you got to have grace. You want that from God, so you got to be able to do the same thing for other people. I believe in 'you reap what you sow.'
There’s a saying about being kind, because everyone is going through, or working on something. What are you currently working on?
Right now? I'm just getting myself together. I worked at Marshalls and I was going back and forth from the city to here. It was on 87th and the Dan Ryan, but they closed down.
You were commuting from North Chicago to 87th Street on the south side of Chicago for work?
Yes, I did that for almost 13 years.
People might look at that and wonder if you were really committed to your job, or if you’re someone who really, really loves commuting.
A lot of people talk about me for doing that– but they do not realize by taking that commute, I met a lot of people. I met a lot of people on that train. A few are in my contacts that I can call up to see how they doing. At the Oglvie station downtown– I know most of those conductors and people that work there. I would I sleep, eat, read, or get on Facebook- it was nice ride, but it did start taking its toll.
I'd been at that Marshalls for 21 years and I'd been commuting from here almost half of that. My job was family-oriented. I may have been comfortable, but I love the people that I worked with. We got along. We would get off work and hang afterward. I got a lot of friends from that job.
Then the store closed down. Now, I just decided to sit down and chill for a little while.
What are you most proud of?
I'm most proud of my children. And I'm proud of myself. I'm proud of the person that I am and the person that I'm still becoming.
Who is the person you are becoming?
I believe I'm coming becoming a great woman. I try to be fair. I try to listen. Think before I talk...
Are those things you’re working on as a result of specific experiences, or do you think they’re just things that come with age?
I will say both. Because, you know, wisdom comes from experience.
In the past, as far as relationships… I allowed a lot of things that I should not allow. I forgot my worth. And I forgot that I have to love myself– because if I don't love me, who's gonna love me? No, I'm not perfect, and I do make my mistakes. I feel like I'm a good person. I know it's easy to say that because you have to get to know a person for you to place that judgment, but I know that I'm a good person. And I deserve better.
Do you have a secret talent?
I can’t say. I don’t have one.
Okay then, what’s your greatest talent?
I feel I got a good talent with people. I realized when I still worked in my job that I'm a good listener. Sometimes I used to feel like I was supposed to be a psychiatrist– people always found a way to come talk to me.
Some years ago I was at the Metra station at North Chicago. This man, he was walking toward me and he kept walking, he kept walking, kept walking, and he stopped. He said, "You're the person I'm supposed to talk to." When I got on the train, he started talking to me about what was going on with him. He said his car broke down… and I’d never seen this man a day in my life. And I still never seen this man since I've been living here. I was like, “Wow, that's that thing.” Do I really make people feel that comfortable?
What do you want for your future?
I would love to hopefully work for myself and and just live life, because life is so short. We’re here one week and we're gone the next.
I was just talking to a friend of mine, and kind of talking about depression. You know, a lot of us, we work and we don't... we don't take care of ourselves. We just work and go home. Sometimes just going to work and coming home all the time– that becomes depressing.
So, I pray to be a better me, be a better better person, and to continue to treat people the way I have– that will never change. Right now, I just just want to breathe. Reevaluate. Figure out what's gonna be my next move.
This conversation has been edited and condensed.