So much for the new group, “We the People of Jackson” which no longer wishes to include me, oh well, there are more groups.
Today was amazing. A hundred times tonight I said I should start typing early and now it’s 10:59.
I didn’t sleep much easier last night and woke up close to 8:30, took the pills, and was downstairs reading yesterday’s post. I remembered the funeral I had put on my calendar, my condolences to our County Prosecutor with the moving of his wife from this world into the next. Many years ago during my first campaign, my friend Leslie (Oh, I do miss seeing her more often,) told me that if I wanted to be a politician and that I was Catholic, I had to attend every funeral mass for an ‘involved’ person.
That is why I went to the funeral for Bill Jors’ mother I believe, and after the funeral, I met Stephen Razjur (I still can’t spell his last name, maybe that’s better for Google…) In the parking lot, he gave me a few tips about an error I had made on my car magnets (no “paid by” line,) and well, here I could say “the rest is history.”
Today, I was especially blessed, as I dressed in a holy relic for the event. A friend of mine that lives in Heaven bequeathed me a Hawaiian shirt. He loved them and had perhaps hundreds. His parents are also friends of mine, they taught 4th grade Sunday school the first year the first year I began teaching. A relic usually means an actual part of the earthly body that remains when a person goes to heaven. That is called a 1st-degree relic. I have a 1st-degree relic of my sister. Of my friend Corwin, I have a 2nd-degree relic in the shirt he owned that was given to me by his parents. 3rd-degree relics are anything that touches a 1st or 2nd-degree relic.
I had seen the mass announcement that someone else had shared on Facebook, and it invited the wearing of colorful clothes per her wishes. I may not have the chance to get to know her better for a long while, yet today I learned so much. The mass was well attended and I was coming in just a few minutes before it began. I parked and got out of my car, and while walking up the sidewalk I saw a couple I recognized and said hello.
Jan held back from her husband and walked with me up to the doors as we chatted briefly. Entering the nave, we parted as seats would be easier to find. I walked up a few pews and saw there was a large opening at the front. Knowing that I am not that close with Jerry, I looked to my side and saw a gap in the middle of a pew and asked another couple if I could join them for Mass.
They stood and let me enter the pew, as I sat from two rows ahead of me, I was greeted by name by Earl Poleski. He then looked at the gentleman one row ahead of me and said, “Look, Mike, it’s Jeromy Alexander.” Mike Shirkey then turned around and greeted me himself- it has been over five years since the last conversation I had with him, during my first campaign in 2017.
The mass was beautiful, and the songs sung were amazing choices. After the Mass had ended, I took this opportunity to thank Mike for all that he has done. I shook his hand and I told him, as this was our first conversation in six years, that I appreciated and am proud of the work that he has done for us, in consideration of all I learned in the same period of time. At some point, he realized I wasn’t letting go of his hand (this, a hand that has shaken the hand of a past American President.)
Oops, releasing, he assured me that my work at the same time had also made an impact. I coyly thanked him, yet responded that for anything I may have accomplished, I knew he had stepped into the breech. I don’t know if he is familiar with that term (apart from the obvious as a part of a gun.) I learned the concept from Fr. Chas; the idea is that sometimes, we must do the things we must do, even if it consumes us, as the gunpowder in the breech of a gun.
Though not nearly as strong, I would likely pay Derek Dobies the same compliment. When Jackson was scheduled to have a riot appear and did have several civil protests, I was glad I was not Mayor. Apart from those few weeks though- I do, respectfully, think I would have been a better Mayor than Derek for his second term.
I also got to see and talk to George and Jackie S (another long last name that Google probably doesn’t need to know,) and over my condolences in person to Jackie who is still getting used to her mother being in Heaven. Then I got to see Deacon Dave Etters and his wife, so great to catch up with them both (and a few more hugs, I made bank today.)
By now, the Church was nearly empty, and there was one other person still talking to Fr. Brian Lenz. I took a seat in a near pew and took the opportunity to gaze upon the Crucifix. A few minutes and the two acknowledged me as the woman left, and Father and I had an opportunity to speak. I’ve been wanting to tell him how much I enjoyed his last homily, and also to tell him about some of my recent writing.
Gladly, after speaking with my missionary friend, I do not believe I need to talk to Father in confession about what I wrote, yet all the same, I am trepiditiously contemplating how I will next extent the body of thought from which I produced that work. Father was happy to spend some time with me and I was able to share some of my thoughts about what Jesus might see from his point of view during Mass.
Father Brian really seemed to enjoy our shared contemplation as we spoke of his students whom he has seen grow over the eight years of being with our Parish and chaplain at the High School. Then I shared with him my joy as a father, watching my two sons develop from infanthood. Next, we considered what Jesus might see from his view as the Eucharist when He is being held up by Fathers during the Mass. I looked at Father and told him that Jesus would have seen him the first time he crawled a pew with crayons himself.
Our conversation went from here to there, as we began to think of families… Jesus would have seen Father Brain when his grandfather first crawled a pew with crayons… At some point we had to part ways, I will look forward to the next time I see him.
After the Mass, as I had not eaten beforehand, I went over to the Shamrock Bar. I had planned to visit John Wilson on Wednesday, however, I forgot I can’t go to my bank on Wednesdays.
Here, I choose to consider my words well, and speak less, yet still with truth.
I know another reason why Corey Kennedy should not run for public office again; I now have reliable information from a source that knows Corey very well, that he canceled a zoning action for a County citizen, that had otherwise correctly done all the paperwork with their township to appease a personal relationship of his. Personal favors on the County dime, interfering with the free and open markets.
Corey? I already knew you had no honor, now I can show it twice; I hope you consider not running the next time your ticket is up.
Okay, back to Shamrock. John Wilson is the burger king. For $13 I had an amazing bar burger with a bag a chips and two beers. Somehow, John had opened a third beer of my flavor and offered it to me to avoid waste. John Wilson is conservative and avoids waste. John Wilson also respects the personal privacy of his patrons. I do not. I believe in free and open public information for the greatest public good. Corey, you should talk to Johnny and see who he introduced me to…
I really thought about a massage today, yet after the Shamrock I drove straight home and enjoyed the rest of the day. Some Facebook of course (though, now looking for a new local group), and this… I could write so much more about some of the conversations I had today, yet some things should be saved for only my memory… unless, perhaps if someone has questions.
Time to rest.