JAMES MORSE

I got up early this morning to pray, wash some dishes, and get to work as the sun was rising. It’s kind of an overcast day and cool but not too chilly for mid-November.

I made it to the 70th anniversary Mass at St. Joe’s with my parents. It was kind of funny and sentimental going back for a school Mass. All of the kids were young enough that they probably weren’t born when I graduated from there in 2009.

I got to see a few familiar faces – Mary Jo Halcik, Ramon, Rita, the McCormicks.

Sometimes I hear this voice that says, “why aren’t you closer with that community?” or “why don’t you go back more often?”.

I guess the answers are complicated because those formative years were so pivotal. I was a pretty awkward kid socially and started to have a lot of complex, passionate feelings in middle school that I didn’t know how to deal with, like a lot of young boys.

After all those years in grade school, I think I felt like I didn’t really didn’t know others too well, or they didn’t know me, or maybe both…

It’s hard to fully embrace something or someone that you don’t feel like you really know, and I’m sure people have felt like that with me.

I guess that’s why I’m pretty reserved and not too keen about opening those doors to the past, although in general, those years were actually quite light and carefree.

I do wonder where everyone ended up a lot of times. Sometimes I see a former classmate or two. It does bring up good feelings, usually, but also reminds me of some of the pain of growing up. Maybe the most important takeaway though is the faith formation I received. I am very grateful for that.

I think I’m going to try and run at the mountain later, so pretty typical day. Nothing too crazy, but I’m blessed.