Briefly

I find myself with too much to say and not enough time and energy to say it all lately. It feels as though I’m on the verge of understanding something that’s been eluding me — something that will change the ways in which I organize my life and the people I allow in my life. I had dinner tonight with a perfectly lovely woman who knows nothing of this site and whose interests are shallow. She’s clearly molded by the empty and clownish popular culture. She had no interest in anything which I find important. What possible place could she have in my life? Remember the Henrik Ibsen play, “An Enemy of the People”? It’s about a man who dares to speak a truth which is inconvenient to his fellow townsmen. He pays a price, but by the end of the play, he realizes that he is the strongest man in town — because he stands against the popular crowd for the truth. Is Dr. Stockmann a hero or a fool? I don’t know. I’m certain only that there are times when delivering a message the world needs to hear is more important than personal wealth or even the approval of those whose approval I need. As Jake and Elwood Blues would say, “We’re on a mission from God.”

Who would have thought that a major Catholic cathedral would be a place of worship? This is apparently a surprise to the writers and editors of the Associated Press, which had a story last week headlined, “Tourist mecca Notre Dame also revered as place of worship.” Really? You mean it’s not just some medieval building in Paris where tourists like to visit? This is a horrible headline, but it’s not surprising for a news media which is increasingly filled with people who don’t associate with religious folks. Most modern news media people are shockingly out of touch with the huge segment of the population for which worship is still a big deal. Media people aren’t doing their jobs when they don’t bother to understand the culture of such a major part of their audience.

I got to hang out with little Isabella at dinner again tonight. She came running when she saw me and wanted me to pick her up. Then she wanted to see cat pictures and she wanted to know why I didn’t bring Lucy with me again. (She also stole a few French fries.) I know that raising healthy and happy children is the toughest job in the world — and some days can be miserable when you’re a parent — but being around kids makes me really eager to finally have some of my own.