One of the most popular episodes of Kankakee Podcast is number thirteen with Nick Huffman, the owner of The Looney Bin in Bradley. There are so many great things I took away from that episode. One of the things I often think of is right in the beginning of the episode when Nick said he almost moved out of Kankakee County for good.

“Some years back the anxiety was starting to get to me and I was going to leave the area completely. The girl that’s been a of my friend since we were one, Nicole, I was talking to her on the phone and she said I’ve got one last thing to say to you before you go. I said, what’s that? She said, just remember you **** wherever you go, your brain has to go with you. And that hit me like a ton of bricks. And when you think about it, a lot of the people who talk negatively, they move. You don’t see them sitting there talking about sunshine and rainbows. They’re still crazy where they live now.” – Nick Huffman, Kankakee Podcast, Episode Thirteen.

I think the point that Nick’s friend Nicole was trying to get across to Nick, and also the point that Nick was trying to make, is that negativity can be found anywhere you live. Especially, if you are constantly thinking and seeing things in a negative light. I think this ties in well with the first blog I posted a few days ago, “Why We Need To Retrain The Way We Think Of Kankakee County.”

We must reprogram our minds to see the positives in our community. It’s the only way Kankakee will grow into the city we want it to become. I don’t think we should ignore the counteractive issues. Those situations will always exist unfortunately. That’s life. However, if we show more support to the wonderful things in our area, there will be less unfavorable events.

Nick, I’m grateful that your friend Nicole talked you out of leaving Kankakee County.

Much Love,

Jake LaMore