Second star on the right, and straight on till morning...

I was walking by the stars one night gazing down at the Earth,
it's blues and greens so far from me.
My companion was quiet,
I didn't know his name.
I didn't know our destination,
He smiled as we walked.
"Have you ever counted them?" He asked without removing his gaze from the North,
Laughing I replied: "You must be mad. They number more than anyone could count."
He turned his gaze to mine and said with a sigh: "So I once thought."
We walked in silence, me pondering his words,
Him back to gazing North with that smile on his face.
Walking for a lifetime, without worries or wonders,
Thinking on his challenge, not understanding him yet.
Finally, it seemed, although probably only a minute,
He stopped and took my hand.
"They only really number the one's you are missing,
The brightest being your foe.
I ask you to forget the star that is blinding,
Allow it guide you, it's one of life's twist.
Home is not far, if you follow your heart,
We count because we realise a simple truth:
Yes they are the ones we are missing,
But there are many left, we simply need to find."


I'm not sure if this is classed as a story or a poem. If you could enlighten me, I'd appreciate it. Just sat at my desk this afternoon and started to write. Be it good bad, it flowed nicely as I typed. Apologies for bad form.

It's been a while...

Well folks, it's been a while. I thought I'd catch you up with some of my recent events and perhaps we can, together, have a revelation; it's been a while!

The main event I would like to talk about is our annual 8th Grade Retreat. This took place up at CYO Camp and Retreat Center in Occidental California. 200 acres of redwoods away from cell reception and the noise of the city. We had 72 8th Graders and 10 High School Seniors.

There are really only a few things I want to talk about. A couple of things really stood out for me at this wonderful place.

Firstly, I would like to talk about an 8th Grader. I will leave him nameless for my own reasons. This young man gave the opening talk of our Retreat on his Changing Role in his family. He spoke with such passion, conviction, and authority about this subject. It really made me, for once, actually sit up and give my complete undivided attention (instead of planning and rehearsing in my head the next step of the retreat). When he had finished I thanked him from the bottom of my heart, he had set the bar INCREDIBLY high for the remaining peer leaders talks. WHAT a start!

The second thing I recall is having to deal with an unfortunate incident that occurred on the first night. There was some vandalism of people's beds and sleeping bags/quilts/etc... It took just over 2 hours for us to get to the bottom of it, but with perseverance and some great tactics on my bosses part, we found the culprit. Disastrous start to a retreat: Averted.

The last thing about this retreat I want to share with you are some quotes. There are three.
The first I like because it talks about facing your problems or adversity. It is an old Samurai saying: "Take an arrow to the forehead, not the back."
The second talks about bullying and how even victims can be bullies too: "Hurt people hurt people."
Lastly, this one I have a direct quote from an author. This is quite self-explanatory: "Understanding is the first step to acceptance, and only with acceptance can there be recovery." - J.K. Rowling.

So these were the highlights, at least for me, of our retreat. I think it was incredibly successful and I look forward to working with our 8th Grade more this coming year.

The second event was our Parish Festival this past weekend. We had a lot of fun, but what seems a small crowd (this is worrying as our Parish in some financial difficulties at the minute). I think that the crowd was light due to San Francisco Giants being in the World Series (and beating the Detroit Tigers to claim the title). I would simply like to mention the hard work that went into our Festival. It is always amazing to me to see the transformation of our facility and the efficient way it always run...the bar's not bad either!

The Giants won the World Series for the second time since I arrived in San Francisco and was indoctrinated into the sport of Baseball. You're welcome San Francisco!

Lastly, a few things that are on my mind at the minute. My boss has been ill recently and I'm glad to say he didn't mind leaning on me a little in his time of need. We really do have a working FRIENDSHIP. I'm pleased to say that he is much better and all looks great for the next 2 months of retreat and pilgrimage to Rome together.
It's is 41 days until I board a plane to fly home. I can't wait to see my family and friends as this is the first year I didn't return home for the summer. Let's just say, it's going to be a busy few weeks in the UK!
Money. I am flying home next summer for my birthday party and I need to start saving for that properly. However, I also need to renew my insurance, start to buy the many Christmas presents I need to buy (not to mention the birthdays between now and then), and I need some new shoes and few items of clothing. I think I should become a hermit!

Thanks for reading!

Friendship in a poem

This is simplistic in its style, even predictable in its content. But, I was sat at home and had an urge to write. It took all of five minutes...and may make me seem like I'm five years old. But, here it is.

"I think of Friendship"

Hope when it seems all hope is lost,
Is friendship at whatever cost,
The endless search for those we've lost,
At junctions we didn't want to cross.

I had a dream, it seemed so real,
But dreams tend soon to loose appeal,
I miss the times we used to steal,
Together, driving, both at the wheel.

Life has moved and that right quick,
The motion sometimes makes us sick,
Though the choices are ours to pick,
Sometimes disappear like magic tricks.

And so life goes, with ups and downs,
What's better now, to laugh or frown?
It's amazing to see how much you've grown,
Apart from me, no longer my own.

It seems one day that life will show,
It's eternal meaning to those below,
As always the winds will blow,
Singing songs whose word we may never know.

And so I look to the setting sun,
Not knowing how my life will run,
Probably a mixture of despair and fun,
A life I hope not spent as one.

But marriage they say makes one of two,
So this my wish for me and you,
Find one you know in your heart is true,
One who life won't ever un-glue.

Take life's tests and pass them all,
Together surely, we won't fall,
We're all only far as placing a call,
Friendship, we need. That is all.

Bookends

Old Friends are something very special to me. I think I qualify what it means to be an old friend differently than anyone else I know. You see, to me, and old friend needs only to be someone who you may not see for a long period of time but you settle with instantly. I have a few "Old Friends" who I have only known for the 2 and half years I have lived here. Still, they qualify.

I think this is a wonderful way to measure one's life. I was in a meeting yesterday afternoon with the Seminarian (man training to be a Roman Catholic Priest) assigned to our parish for his Pastoral Year (a year actually doing work and learning what it means to be caring towards your "flock" - a wonderful thing in my mind as I have know priests who were terrible at this. At least now they are trying to fix that). In this meeting he said something that really stuck with me, and inspired (along with other things that day/night) me to write this post.

He was telling me a story of a funeral he was once at where the priest was talking about the deceased as a man of great education and intelligence. The seminarian continued to say he was struck then by what the deceased wife had to say. She looked around the room and asked people to raise their hands of they worked with her husband at Colleges, Universities, Schools. Did they study with him? Not a single hand was raised. She said this: "Frank never did judge people by the letters after their name. He judged them by the love in their heart, the smile on their face, and the look in their eyes. Thank you for being here to support me. Thank you for being Frank's old friends."

How wonderful. What a way to exemplify what should be at the front our lives. We are in a society that tells us that the more money you make, the better. The way to make more money is to get better jobs. The way to get a better job is to get more education. When all this is accomplished, you will be happy.

I have a couple of questions. Firstly, is money everything? If not, then why is it one of the things that is most causing sleepless nights in people? Lastly, is a job not MORE than the money you earn?

My answers: 1- No. 2- Sadly, this is the way society has evolved. 3- My job certainly and I know a great many people (my old friends) who are much more focused un inspiration and living life the best way they can.

That is why they're my bookends.

Thanks for reading. This changed as I wrote it. It went from being a sentimental thing to a rant on things that rankle me at the minute. Incidentally I have a disclaimer: I am not innocent of anything I spoke of above. It just came to me as I wrote. I am not judging people who have done well for themselves or their families. Nor those who didn't have the opportunities I had for not being where they want to be.

Rant. Over.