Calling My Name

Without any intention to disrespect, I call you by your first name.

I call you by your first name for two reasons.

First, you did not age one bit. I'm not talking of the physical appearance but of the warmth we've enjoyed as our guidance counselor back in the day, whom we could run to. I was explaining to my wife yesterday that you were that only person we were not afraid of being reprimanded. Everyone, from priests to teachers to security guards and even the janitor, was an authority figure we were supposed to be scared of.

Second, between the first informal farewell for our priestly batchmate and last Saturday's official gathering, I was impacted by how we had changed and matured! Quite honestly, our batch went through a lot of issues which we resolved in our senior year. I suspect one year was not enough and that's why it took us nearly two decades to transcend cliques to come up with an activity as successful as last Saturday's. Kudos, brothers!

Batchmates, let's get organized quickly about doing pocket events, baby steps , that will give us time to practice working together. Like the nightly case studies in MBA, we need to go through a crucible to learn which areas each of us is good at. Then we can be sure we can execute a meaningful (grand or not) homecoming a few years from now.

And we know our guidance counselor is there to guide us.



And I hear a voice through the distance
And I hear your voice through the distance
Calling my name
And do you hear the answer from the still of my soul
Wasted until this day of reunion
We come and go
To the beat of a heart
To the beat of my soul
We come and go
We come and go

-Maggie Reilly (Reunion)