Just for fun, I tried to turn civic pride into a game. 😄
As a committed and concerned community member (…and Strong Towns South Milwaukee member), I spend an inordinate amount of time reading, researching and talking about (sometimes) contentious municipal topics—things like infrastructure, budgets, zoning changes, school board proposals, our library, and long-term comprehensive planning. All incredibly important stuff! But sometimes civic life can start to feel… heavy.
I wanted to remind myself—and our neighbors—that loving this city can be simple, joyful, and even a little silly.
Introducing South Milwaukee Civic Pride Bingo—because civic pride doesn’t have to be serious to be meaningful. No prizes, no pressure, just a fun excuse to explore the city, support local, and appreciate the everyday stuff that makes South Milwaukee feel like home.
Meetings, debates, campaigns, referendums, arguments on social media, “us vs. them” conversations about politics and priorities. It’s easy for people to feel burned out, disconnected, or like civic engagement is only for policy wonks and activists.
Civic pride doesn’t always have to look like a town hall meeting or a heated comment thread. Sometimes it looks like grabbing a massive cookie from Bakehouse 23, finding a segment of Oak Leaf Trail you never knew existed, attending a community event with friends, or stopping to admire a mural downtown you’ve driven (or biked…) past a hundred times. Those everyday experiences are civic life, too.
I know so many of us really, really love this place. Like, bigger love than South Milwaukee Sam love.
We love South Milwaukee not because it’s perfect, but because it’s ours. Because of the people who show up, the institutions that quietly hold things together, and the small moments that make it feel like home.
That’s the spirit behind Civic Pride Bingo. It’s not about being right, or winning arguments, or proving how engaged you are. It’s about reconnecting with the places and people that make up our shared community, in a way that feels accessible and fun instead of intimidating or divisive.
As we head toward America 250 this July, I hope we’ll have many national conversations about what it means to be part of a country, a democracy, a civic culture. But I think the best place to start is local. Civic pride isn’t built in faraway places—it’s built on our sidewalks, in our library, in our parks, on our beaches,, in our small businesses, and in the conversations we have with our neighbors.
My hope is simple: that this little Bingo game sparks a little more curiosity, a little more joy, and a little more love for South Milwaukee. Because strong towns aren’t just built with plans and policies—they’re built with people who care. And caring, it turns out, doesn’t have to be so serious all the time.
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