After I graduated from high school, I attended college ten minutes from my house…my mom worked there, so I had tuition remission
…and since I had no real idea what I wanted to do in life, getting a free education was a
…anyway, I won’t bore you with all the details of my college years, so I’ll skip to senior year…or what was supposed to be my last year…I contracted mononucleosis…that’s right, the dreaded
disease…I was laid up in bed for almost a month…forced to drop most of my classes and go into a 5th year…no worries though…after 4 years, I still didn’t have a career path planned…and here’s why…my father had an ornamental iron works company…he made these
…I worked there every summer…I even helped out on occasion while in school…I liked the idea of having a job to fall back on after graduation…no sense of urgency to grow up…I could keep livin’ the good life…always on a
field or
court…hanging out in the
…drinking
…meeting girls…eating
and
…watching
…and playing
until 2:00 closing…college was a mere afterthought…so much so, when I picked my last elective to satisfy the necessary number of credits to graduate, I chose an easy one called
…I figured it would be about ancient tribes and hunter gatherers…something I learned in high school, watched on the PBS channel, or read in
magazine…in my estimation, Anthropology would be a
…and I had no problem admitting my opinion…here’s how that first class went…I sat in the back of the room, near a
…overlooking the center courtyard…I was a bit of a dreamer, especially if I wasn’t particularly interested in the subject matter…the professor’s name was Dr. Laura Miller
…I hope she doesn’t mind me using her picture…so there I was, trying to be incognito…well, kind of…wearing a shirt that was a size too small…casually flexing my muscles…like I was telling everyone, Yes…that’s right…I’m too cool to be here…and by the way, I grew up in an
family, where the men bend steel for a living…no seriously, making a muscle was a rite of passage being a
…it all started when my siblings and I were little…my father would reveal his bicep…we would wrap our arms around it like he was a human
…then he’d lift us in the air…I mean, I know most fathers do that with their kids, and flexing muscles isn’t exactly unique…I just think we’ve surpassed our quota…and sometimes that braggadocious behavior backfires…like 2 years ago when I told my 15 year old son he hits like a
during his karate sparring class…when we pulled in our driveway, we both got out…he looked me in the eye, So I hit like a mosquito?…I replied Yeah!…then I foolishly turned sideways and made a muscle target…he punched me in the arm and walked away…this was the result
…he called me on it a year before I starting writing Callemonit…then she
added insult to injury with a second Callemonit when I complained about my sore arm, Hun, you get no sympathy from me…you shouldn’t tease people, especially your son…now back to the story…I think Dr. Miller sensed her classroom
needed a wake up call, Excuse me…in the corner…why did you choose Anthropology?…again, I had no problem exclaiming the truth, I figured it was an easy
…there was complete silence…no anticipated giggling from classmates…I suddenly felt like a
…luckily, she didn’t prolong my agony, Well you’d be mistaken!…then she proceeded to teach her lesson…throughout that period, I felt her passion for wanting to understand people…it was contagious…the next class, I arrived early and grabbed a seat in the front row…just that quickly I made a
with my perspective about Anthropology…and my new attitude adjustment didn’t waiver…I had straight A‘s on assignments and exams leading into the final grade, a term paper with oral presentation describing the behavior of any group of people in your life, with conclusion…I decided to observe the congregation in my
…I belonged to a big Roman Catholic parish…on any given Sunday, there were plenty of people to watch…so, I wrote what I believed to be a compelling paper, and I gave my presentation…I stood in front of class and talked about little boys playing with
and
…while little girls were
and having conversations with
…back and forth and all along the
…and the parents…well, they were completely oblivious…probably thinking about the afternoon’s
game…and do they need to pick up more
…and is the sour cream in the back of the fridge still fresh for
…they were pretty much staring off into
…except when it was time to recite The Our Father, or offer The Sign of Peace in which everyone would turn and
…and oh yeah, they all took part in receiving The Lord Jesus during Holy Communion…but it was mostly just the elderly members who seemed invested in Mass…they got dressed in their best and actually sung and prayed using the
…after all that imagery, Dr. Miller asked, What did you conclude?…I replied, Well, it’s kind of simple…most people don’t pay attention in church…they go out of habit, obligation, or fear…especially the old folks who worry about dying and not getting into
…then she calmly countered with I’m sorry Mark, but I think you missed it…although a lot of what you observed is true…you mustn’t discount faith and hope…and especially comfort…a sense of community…belonging to something they can depend on…on the top of my paper was, Very Well Written!…then the letter
…well, I wasn’t totally dejected…Anthropology had become my favorite class in college, and I still ended up with an A overall…so, what does all this have to do with Callemonit?…okay here it goes…honestly, this past year has been an emotional
…with more lows than highs…and plenty of confusion and self doubt…leaving a life of
was more easily said than done…imagine before, I’d wake up in the morning…there was a specific job ahead of me…say, an intricate tile
…when done properly, a beautiful backsplash can transform a kitchen…I’d complete the work…the customer would be happy…there was a sense of accomplishment…I’d get paid and go home…drink a couple three beers…hang out with my wife…head to bed…basically, feel like this guy
…but even still, there was a rhyme and reason to the day…a bunch of moving parts would join and go full
…familiar…predictable…dependable…but when I began something new…totally unfamiliar…writing a
called Callemonit…even though my intentions were clear…I’d focus on situations in life that become increasingly complicated when ignored…then inspire people to create communication connections…have conversations about true feelings and concerns in a timely manner…problem solve…make a positive difference in their lives and the lives of others…I was surprised…disappointed…very few people embraced the concept…instead of my day going full circle…it felt like this
…direction unknown…I understand Callemonit hasn’t existed for very long…and I can’t expect to impact the
overnight…but how do I keep from getting discouraged?…well, the answer is faith and hope…from prayer…belief in God…and going to church…just like I heard 30 years ago…however, there was a significant difference between the college me
and the current me…back then I never missed Mass…but over the past ten years, I could hardly refer to myself as a practicing Catholic…yet now more than ever, I needed to rekindle my relationship with God in a proper setting…His house…so, who was it that could convince me to go back to church?
please!…you may have guessed it…her
…my wife, best friend, and steadfast supporter…it’s been three months now of not missing a Sunday service with Laurie…even our son comes along…I really enjoy listening to the Readings, Gospel and homily…I pay attention much more than I did when I was 22…in Anthropology, I criticized parishioners for just going through the motions…but I should have looked in the
…I’ve never experienced a belonging the way I do now…I used to think it was necessary to sing, respond, and pray…robotically…in order to be a good churchgoer…on the contrary…in God’s House now, I have a conversation with Him like we’re sitting on a
…watching the
…we talk about my wife and son…and sometimes I tell Him about Callemonit…He assures me I’m doing a good thing…just keep going…never give up…and regarding the stressful parts of this journey I can’t control…He says, My child, give them to Me!…and that’s exactly what I do…I offer them up to God!
In conclusion, remember, don’t tease people…and more importantly, if you know someone who’s feeling lost…even depressed…remind them of God’s awesome power…His undying love…and His willingness to help…that would be a lifechanging pep talk…a caring Callemonit!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this inspirational post…I would love to hear your opinion!
