My Life

Hello there friends,
IF you're reading this your computer still works and your toaster probably does too. The planet was not taken over by terrorists, aliens, or bugs and Jesus did not show up yet. It all could have happen and might still, and Jesus will defiantly show up sometime. But for now, LIFE MOVES ON. But don't ever stop being ready.
I had a good Christmas and I spent the last week of 1999 visiting friends. I saw friends that I haven't seen in months. I ended up seeing Toy Story 2 for the 3rd time and also experienced the movie 'Galaxy Quest' with some friends of my mine whom I've never seen a movie with before. I consider going to a movie with someone an important milestone in my friendships with them. I spent new years eve attaining a church service and afterwards stayed up till 5 in the morning talking about life, love, and other mysteries. I've been doing a lot of reading lately. I've gotten into reading the Harry Potter books. Look on the NY times bestseller list and in your local children's section if you don't know what I'm talking about. I just recently got a job at Staples which starts tomorrow on Thursday the 6th. I will continue to figure out my life and what God has in store for me. That is a quick up to date description of my life. Seeing it's a new year, new decade, new century, and new millennium, I thought I would review my life. I've chosen the 90's. So read on if your interested in knowing more about me and my life. It's long just to warn you.
In 1990 I went from being an immature little HS student to a immature lackluster slacker young adult who hasn't done much with his 7 years of education in TV production. It started out at Dean where I was more motivated and more consistently involved in activities then any other time during the decade. I was involved with the student radio station, in student video projects, in plays, talent shows, and was also student orientation leader. Dean taught me that no matter how long you fight with friends, there can always be reconciliation in the end. At Dean I first questioned my Catholic faith and started searching for the authentic church of Christ. I graduated from Dean in 1992.
The summer after I graduated I worked in a Salvation Army Camp in Wisconsin, I came back to Mass and went back to school at FSC. I rediscovered my Catholic Faith over the course of a year. My Priest, study, and prayer led me back to what I discovered to be the true church of Jesus Christ that I was searching for. My prayer is that all will discover Christ and discover Christ's church. FSC introduced me to the greatest group of Friends I have ever met in my life; Marshall Myers, being the closest friend that I formed at the college. He is the friend who has gone out of his way for me more than any other friend I have ever had. He is the one who helped me survive my first few semesters at FSC. Marshall and I have done a lot together. The biggest thing we have done was drive from Mass to California back in 94. Marshall graduated and decided to head west. I came with him and video taped the whole trip and made a video called "The California Trip". One of the few semi-professional video's I have made. I have edited it several times. The other important video that I made was "At the Last Min." A video Documentary of my FSC friends.
The second person with the next greatest influence in my life at FSC was Cheryl Demont. Cheryl was a single mother who always went out of her way to talk and converse with me. The night before the 2nd semester began MM, CD, and I stayed up all night talking, thus forming our circle of friendship. Marshall, towards the end of his college career became Cheryl's roommate, along with her friend Vi Buttand. Cheryl became Mrs. Mike Gallager and had another son named Andrew and Vi became Mrs. Dave Dube and they just recently had a daughter named Elizabeth. I had the privilege of living one semester with the Dubes , to help me through school. I also had the privilege of attending both the Gallager's and Dube's weddings.
All these friends and more I met were connected to Intervarsity Christian Fellowship. I did many things with IV including going on a missions trip to Florida and Missions conference in Illinois with Dave Patten. It was at Illinois where I first started to discern becoming a priest. Dave has been my roommate for several semesters and even my roommate in an off campus apartment. Dave is one of the most positive souls I have come across. Suffering through very much including the death of three of his family members he continues to be an example of how the human spirit can survive during difficult circumstances in life. The other roommate that I spent many semesters with was Aaron Banyai, a person who said we would never become friends. Both Dave and Aaron could not stand me when they first met me. They are now two of my closest friends from FSC. If it wasn't for Memo Salazar, who convinced them both to take me in as a roommate, our friendship might not have happen. Another person whom couldn't stand me at first but became a good friend to me was Heather Lloyd. She is now Mrs. Jamie Walton and I was at her wedding also.
Other friends of importance are Kristy Reed, the first friend I met at FSC. Debby Kirst who cheered me up when I was feeling especially lousy about being at FSC away from my beloved friends at Dean. I attended her wedding also. Heather Tompkinson, Memo's girlfriend at the time and who has a spot on "At the Last Min. Jodie, whom I dated when I first went to FSC. We could have found true romance but alas we became friends and she went on to become Mrs. Randy Hamila. I went to her wedding also. More people I know have been married, including my close friend, Darren from HS, and my two sisters Mary and Laurie. My parents celebrated their 40th this year. Another girl I dated, who I became really close to, was Kristin Nealon. It didn't lead to lifelong romance but to a very deep close friendship. Kristin and I used to go to Mass in the morning before classes and to the soup kitchen in the afternoons twice a week. I didn't always go with her and often let her borrow my car so she could get to these important places. My car was lent out a lot to my friends. It was my car who transported DP back and forth from his Internship. If I didn't drive, AB or our other roommate Norm would take him. It's good to have a car. I've gone through 2 more since that time. Both with the loan of Mom and Dad.
Jen Welch is another important soul. She didn't became a friend till after I took a semester off and moved out to California to live with Marshall. Because of HL, telling me about how much JW was interested in me I wrote and wrote to her till she wrote back. We have done many things together but sadly our friendship has sort of trailed off in different directions.
Friends come and friends go. Only Darren and Jeff do I keep in regular contact with from High School. Tony and his brother Mike whom I have known practically all my life still keep in occasional touch. Corina from HS is occasional also.
I lived in California for about 4-mouths and had to come home because I couldn't find work and because MM and I had a major religious blowout. He lambasted my Catholic faith. He came back home about 3 weeks after I did and started to look into the church he thought was false. Weeks later he entered RCIA. This is the process one goes through in order to become Catholic. I went back to school after not thinking I could get the classes I needed to make it on my internship. But through the grace of God (and I really mean that) I got the classes I needed and on a trip to Canada with MM and DP I discovered that inspite of the lack of the GPA I needed to get my internship, I got it. I interned at Hamilton-Wenham cable studios and in May of 97, I got my degree along with AB, KN, JS, HL, VB, KR and a few other friends of ours. On March 23, I met a person who helped change my Life, Liza Harrel. The first thing I did with Liza was attend the ceremony of Marshall entering the Catholic Church. Liza accompanied AB, JW, DP, MM and me to a conference in Stubenville Ohio. We rented a van and went out to learn more of the Catholic Faith at this dynamic Catholic university. I moved down to live with Marshall and his Mom on the Cape in Sept so I could be closer to Liza. MM and I were also planing to start up a video company which we never did. I volunteered often at the Cable station. Liza and I ended up become close friends and we have done many things together. While down there she finished school at Cape Cod Community College. Marshall moved out in Feb of 99 and I stayed on living with his mom. I was still searching for my vocation. I continued to work at Job after Job. On the Cape I went from working at a Gas Station to working in a T-shirt factory to re-working at Papa Gino's which I had done on and off in Beverly since 93, till the time I moved to the Cape, to Sbaroo's ( another pizza place) to almost working at a camp, to working at a company that ships sunglasses and Swiss army knives to working at a boarding school to working at Friendly's to working in an afterschool program. It was after I left the boarding school, called Riverview that I began to think I really might be called to the priesthood. I started to seek out priests to talk to. The most successful priest I talked to was Fr. Dave Lupo of the Sacred Hearts who has become my spiritual director. During the summer of 99 I got my first real and only professional job in television production. I worked as a production assistant on a religious documentry for the Mercy Foundation. Two weeks in Maryland and I earned 1200 buck, something to look good on my Resume, and a chance to impact souls for all eternity. After Maryland I was planing on going on a volunteer program., so I came back home to save $. I got a temporary job that would last till Sept. At the end of the month I was still too broke to go on a volunteer program and decided to stay living on with my parents. I have been working non-stop lately at Christian Book Distributors trying to figure out what to do with my life. CBD was seasonal though. It ended a few days before Christmas. They told me when the season kicks up again they would hire me back. They were really pleased with my job performance. I'm hoping by the time they call me back I will find my vocation or at least be somewhere where I can find it. I'll probably be at Staples for awhile. I've started to look at the priesthood more seriously. I attained a conference at St. John Fisher Seminary in Conn. which may have helped open the door a little wider for me in making my decision to look even deeper in the vocation of becoming a priest. I believe I could attend there if I really wanted to. Another order has welcomed me to come and look at their order anytime I want. Lots of opportunities await me.
That is my life at the end of this year, end of this decade, end of this century, and end of this millennium. What a time to be alive huh. It was so cool to watch all the celebrations on tv around the world ringing in the new century. Because computers didn't crash, it gives me a chance to continue writing and sending letters to people. Maybe this is the first letter your ever getting from me, Maybe it's the last letter you'll be ever get from me. Perhaps I'll never see some of you again. That will happen someday anyway. We will move apart in other directions. Death will occur. I have quite a few friends who have suffered the loss of a parent or grandparents. As my friend Susun said, "We attended quite a few weddings, next will come the funerals." Disaster strikes at times. Divorce, Depression, Death. I have had friends and family members go through all of this. "But even as I walk through the valley of death I shall fear no evil, for you art with me." (psalm 23)
I believe strongly in Christ Jesus and that he is God and that He loves you and is there for you and that we will all stand before Him one day. I try not to be too pushy but Christ is so a part of my life It comes out in all that I say, even if indirectly. I hope that all of you come to believe in Him and make him Lord of your life. I believe strongly in the Church he founded which is the Catholic Church. I hope that all who find Christ find His church. If you only knew the riches He has in his visible mystical body. If you are reading this, you have been a part of my life in some way. I thank God for the little time that we have spent together on this earth. I love you all and wish you the best in this life and the life to come (even if you don't believe it is so). Examine your life and see where you would stand if you were to meet God now. The unexamined life is not worth living. I will continue to seek out God's will for my life and hopefully in this millennium he will take the talents we all have and use them for his kingdom.