A day in Madison: Taking the time to be proud and enthused about where we are

Overlooking Lake Mendota, as you stand in Alumni Park, this is an accurate reminder of why you're either a UW student or a Wisconsinite. In the shadows on top, that's me in the middle, RFL at right.

Saturday became something we didn't expect, and that was a good and encouraging thing.

We found things we didn't know existed within a short drive.

We were blown away by people who had come before us.

We stopped in our tracks to ponder, to read and to be proud of where we were and what had been accomplished there.

We were in Madison, capital city of the state of Wisconsin, which joined the United States of America in 1848.

And while we'd both been to Madison many times over the years, we were generally too busy to take our time to look at where we were. That changed in a very positive way this weekend.

My Reason For Living (RFL) and I took the trip primarily to take in the Lake Home and Cabin Show at the Alliant Energy Center. We'd been there a year ago, and came back with some cool stuff and some cooler ideas for the shack.

This year, not so much.

The exhibits and vendor booths verified that we'd done some good things, and that we'd planned our place pretty well. Still, there were no new worlds or ideas or gadgets or cabin decor or docks or boats or metal roofs or rustic furniture pieces that invited us to spend more time or money there.

After 90 minutes, we left, with an afternoon to kill in Madison. But we didn't kill it. We used it.

Like many people who don't know much about Madison, we went to State Street. It's a familiar and easy walk, not far from the State Capitol building (why do we need "capitol" and "capital," by the way?), and it's a nice departure to pick up the fresh vibe from the University of Wisconsin campus.

We'd done the State Street walk before, after Badger games, during business trips and when in town for other events.

This time was different. We kept walking on State Street until we discovered Alumni Park, overlooking Lake Mendota, between the Memorial Union and the Red Gym, where UW basketball games were played before the UW Fieldhouse was opened in 1930.

The Memorial Union on the left, the Red Gym on
the right. Alumni Park occupies the middle space
at the far end.

The park's address is 724 Langdon Street; use this map to situate yourself. The park opened just a few months ago, in October 2017.

It's only 1.3 acres, but the size of the park isn't what's most important there. It's the everywhere-you-look reminders of the Wisconsin Idea and what UW students can accomplish, and have accomplished.

Background on the history of the park is available here and here.

The words, sculptures, likenesses, timelines, small touches and large touches are inspirational.

They tell you that Badgers — Wisconsin is the Badger State, remember — are people who get things done, who create change for the better, who leave lasting impressions, who forge paths for others to walk.

Every few feet are examples of Wisconsin excellence. Students and instructors who have put UW on the map by changing the course of history in a variety of disciplines and through a wider variety of research projects and post-study professional work.

This means something: "The Wisconsin Idea begins with
service, and service begins here."

If you haven't been on a college campus for a while, or if you've forgotten what happens in a classroom or a lab or in a study session, or if you've somehow become jaundiced about the value and the purpose of higher education, you need to visit this place.

Saturday afternoon, the Mendota ice was host to a few dozen young people, skating and walking, playing games near and far.

The sky was clear, the sun was bright and the campus was clearly connected with the city that surrounds it.

It really was one of those wouldn't-be-anywhere-else moments.

I'm not a UW-Madison alum. I was graduated from UW-Green Bay in December 1980. My bride has attended UW-Green Bay and UW-Fox Valley. I'm 60, and she's a few years younger.

"The price of light is less than the cost of darkness"
— A.C. Nielsen Sr., who earned his Bachelor
of Science degree from UW in 1918.

So, aside from the "UW" reference, there might be no reason for us to walk through Alumni Park feeling so proud, so humbled, so happy to call this state home. And I'm certainly under no obligation to write such a positive piece here.

But facts are facts. And UW has made a profound and global difference for more than 165 years.

And there's this: Our 14-year-old grandson has his eyes set on UW-Madison as his college, and as of today, he has plans to become a doctor.

We know those middle-school plans can change — they certainly did for us.

But we'd be pretty damned happy if his plans of today became his reality of tomorrow.

"I want to come to school here, too," RFL said.

I can understand that.

A panoramic view of Lake Mendota from Alumni Park on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus.