The Seven Wonders of ... Milo

You might have noticed my brother, Milo, doesn’t get mentioned much in my columns. He is an in-the-background kind of kid. In honor of his 10th birthday, I wanted to write a column with a bit of help from him.

Milo recently finished a book called, “The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs.” This is about a boy who was challenged to find the special things about his town. He was given seven days to find seven things he liked about Sassafras Springs. As a home school project, my mom asked Milo to think of the seven wonders of Princeton, Illinois.

Immediately, true to nature, everyone else started chiming in with their ideas. This is always what happens to Milo. He can’t even have his own moment or his own thoughts. So, my mom said only Milo could give his ideas, and the rest of us had to keep quiet. 

The following is a list of the seven wonders of Princeton, Illinois, according to Milo Bystry:

• Soldiers and Sailors Monument

• St. Louis Catholic Church

• Red Covered Bridge

• Zearing Park Pond

• Apollo Movie Theater

• Bureau County Courthouse

• Princeton Public Library

I love this list because it tells you a little about who Milo is and what is important to him. Milo loves books, so it makes sense the library would be one of his wonders. You will always see him in the “Star Wars” section at the library. He checks out the same few books every other time we go. He has to wait for the ones we just brought back to make it to the shelves again.

Milo is quiet and shy around people he doesn’t know, but those who do know him know he is loyal and kind. His best friend is our cousin, Hensley Leach. Whenever Milo has some extra money, he always wants to treat her to a movie at the Apollo. The big screen, candy, popcorn and soda make this a sure wonder in anyone’s list.

Our Aunt Sarah works at the courthouse, and Milo just loves her. She always wants him to give her a big hug. Aunt Sarah says Milo is the best hugger ever. I think this is why the courthouse is a wonder to him.