72 years around the sun, an experience that continues to grow

Journalist and columnist Ray Hanania looks back at 72 years and the ups and downs of life from school to journalism, politics, cancer, legionnaires’ disease, standup comedy, and music

By Ray Hanania

72 years around the sun today .., thank you everyone for the phenomenal birthday wishes.

I was very fortunate to be able to force my way into journalism and build a career in communications …

I had to storm the 4th Estate Bastille to get in and fight hard to stay in a racist industry that has tried to push me out — and sometimes being backstabbed by my own easily bought off and victimized Arab community — I’ve managed to stay strong behind the barricades moving forward

There have been many great journalists who have become my friends and supporters, and I am so appreciative of their continued support …

The many good friends I have made in politics, my life’s battlefield, who have stood by me …

Ray Hanania at 3 years old in Chicago with his mother, sister Linda and neighbor Paulie Hansen. 1956

The many friends I have made over the years from Warren Elementary school to Bowen, Bogan, Little Flower, and Reavis high schools … and NIU. UIUC MVCC … My Theta Chi brothers

The many newspapers, including Arab News, the Southwest News Herald newspaper chain, the Daily Southtown, The Chicago Sun Times, Newsday (Everybody Loves Raymond), the Orlando Sentinel, Houston Chronicle …

WLS radio — before it became a beacon of racist hatred — WNZK in Detroit, WLUP, WJJD, WCPT, and many more posted for viewing on YouTube.

I had a great career in standup comedy, battling racist hate comedian Jackie Mason and performing throughout the world in Palestine, Israel, Jerusalem, London, Dublin, at Caroline’s on Broadway and for Synagogues, Churches and Mosques across America.

And a great family, Alison, Carolyn, Aaron, Ryan, and grandkids Summer and Riley, who I couldn’t survive without their love and understanding … my sister Linda who I have cared for since her 20s … my brother John, Victoria and Jason, and tremendous uncles aunts cousins and relatives that would take forever to name them all (I don’t want to leave any of them out)

I love you all …

And, I am very thankful to my mom and dad, immigrants who worked hard to enter this country legally, who embraced the bounty this nation offers, and who taught me the lessons of kindness and compassion to others including to find a path of peace when all seems impossible between Jews and Arabs in their homeland of Palestine and Israel

Every night I recite the names of relatives who have passed … “The life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living,” not too ironically written by Marcus Tullius Cicero, a burden we should all proudly carry

Grateful that I survived heart surgery, cancer, and legionnaires’ disease, and moving forward with great health.

Thank you all.

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Ray Hanania is an award-winning former Chicago City Hall reporter who has lived in Orland Park since 1986. He writes for many suburban Chicagoland newspapers including The Regional News, and is the Senior US Correspondent for Arab News Newspaper, the leading English Language newspaper in the Middle East. For more information on this and other topics, or to get information on subscribing to his columns and video podcasts below, visit his website at hanania.com. You can Email Ray at [email protected].

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Ray Hanania

Ray Hanania is an award-winning opinion columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.

His award winning columns can be found at www.HANANIA.COM Subscribe FREE today

Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.

Email Ray Hanania at [email protected].

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