Don't Forget Your Keys

It was a rare occurrence for a speaker to have a message that succeeded in reaching me throughout my college career. And to the surprise of many, I did attend a fair number of speakers in those four years. Some of them I was mostly present in a physical sense; because as the monks know all to well from my two week retreat at SJU, monotone speakers in a poorly lit room is a recipe for a nap.

There was one speaker in particular who did manage to get through my thick head and impeccable REM cycle and that was Fr. Edwin Leahy (I have to double check that name) from the St. Benedict's Preparatory School out in Newark, New Jersey. He was the honorary speaker at my graduation and without him I would've walked away with my diploma the idea that I was a voyager on an odyssey out of a Star Trek episode...Ha, sorry Matt (class speaker), you're a smart kid and a great guy, but given my life philosophy of experiential learning it is a bit difficult to listen to a message like that from someone who has graduated college and doesn't know how to swim.

Back to the message, Fr. Edwin started and ended his enlightened and engaging speech with four words: "Don't Forget Your Keys." He told us (the graduating class) not to forget our keys as we leave college and begin the next stages of our lives. And he wasn't speaking about car and room keys, although I am sure that they were implied at one point or another. But he was referring to the keys that would open the doors to everything good in this world, Faith and Good Works. Now it is not hard to see how a Benedictine can come up with these important keys, however I would prefer to to be a little more specific. Faith and good works are very general and apply to many of life's closed/locked doors. But the keys that I have chosen to bring along with me on my excursion, or at least the two that are currently at the forefront of mind are (Social) Responsibility and Open Mindedness. I will be sure to elaborate more on these in the weeks to come, as time will not be an issue for me.

Well since I haven't forgotten my "keys," I guess I should inform you that I did manage to forget a pair of waterproof pants that will probably come in useful during the two rainy seasons. They are currently sitting on a box in the corner of my closet. And rest assured, if the water line running up my wall ever breaks that box is going to have one very dry lid. I am glad that my pants at least have a some hope of being useful over the next nine months.