Gale Sayers has had a fabulous life in Chicago and has his principal residence there, a posh condo off Michigan Avenue. But 10 days a month, he and his wife retreat to their home in tiny Wakarusa, Ind., south of Elkhart:
''I first met him in here about 33 years ago,'' said Steve Cook, who operates the restaurant with his brother Stan. ''I was about 18. He was my childhood idol. I couldn't even talk.
"Now he's just Gale."
That's the difference. In Chicago, where Sayers played spectacularly for the Bears four decades ago, he still is No. 40, GALE SAYERS!!! Barely 100 miles away in Wakarusa, he is just Gale.
We all want what we don't have. We lose many college graduates because they yearn for the excitement of a big-city life. But many who already have that yearn for a little peace and quiet in a small town. Just something to think about for state officials who are trying to get people to come to Indiana.
