Doghouse

Travelogue 1

The Reverend Mark Studer presiding at the marriage of John-Paul and Erin Reese in Seattle.







Installment One
It was an amazing day that started fairly early and ended just a few hours ago (about 4...it is now 7:30 a.m. in Portland).

I tried to go to sleep four hours ago replaying the words and images of the day and thinking of these two fine men (John-Paul and Mark) and also having enjoyed a rich day that included 7 hours in a car to and from Seattle from Portland with Tabitha, and also meeting now Erin Reese for the first time and seeing how she loves her husband.

I want to start processing now and I am going to be self-indulgent...so feel free to stop reading if you like. This well likely not be normal Mac-fare.

Let me say that I was deeply touched in so many ways the last 24 hours. Inspired and renewed (how else do you account for the fact I am up at this hour on the hot Portland morning? I am sweating like Atlanta in July).

In fact, I'll start with a joke at my own expense made by a patron of the Marriot bar when very late John-Paul, Mark and I stole away for some personal time. We had walked a bit and I was in a fricken suit of sorts. An older man at the bar lookd at me and said "so what happened? Did you fall in the pool?"

"Look I've come a long way, actually from Portland today, to get right here...it's been exhausting," I replied.

He snapped back "What? Portland Maine?"

I went over and shook his hand after I stopped laughing.

I felt honored to sit with these two fine men, both of whom call me "mentor".

The mentoring relationship is unique and can be fraught with some peril when the "patowan" grows into full maturity. Sometimes the mentor cannot let them be as large as they are...at other times the student feels overshadowed when they should not.

There was none of that bullshit here.

With tears in my eyes I watched two fine and strong young men in their prime..and to be true, do what I have not been able to do, though I helped prepare both of them.

More to come....

posted by Obi-Mac BakDon @ 7:37 AM