I have spent hours aplenty the last couple days in the Mystic Seaport, a 19th century replication of Connecticut coastal operations. It proved pleasant. A condensed version of Moby Dick, theatrically played out of doors by a small troupe of impressive young actors, highlighted events, expressivly making evident the crossing of borders present in the presence of the vastness of an ocean. Whaling, salty water, sailing, depths, storms, and the doings of men beneath the immensity of stars. Here are two quotes from a collection of artwork devoted to life immersed within the sea.

Searching my heart for its true sorrow,
This is the thing I find to be:
That I am weary of words and people
Sick of the city, waiting for sea,
Wanting the sticky, salty sweetness,
Of the strong wind and shattered spray,
Wanting the loud sound and the soft sound,
Of the big surf that breaks all day,
If I could see the weedy mussels,
Crusting the wrecked and rotting hulls,
Hear once again the hungry crying
Overhead of the wheeling gulls,
… I should be happy–that was happy
All day long on the coast of Maine!
I have a need to hold and handle,
Shells and anchors and ships again!

–Edna St. Vincent Millay

They have cradled you with custom, they have primed you with the preaching.

They have soaked you with convention through and through.

They have put you in a showcase, you’re a credit to their teaching.

But you can’t hear the wild? –it’s calling you.

Let us probe the silent places, let us seek what luck betide us.

Let us journey to a lovely land I know.
There’s a whisper on the night wind, there’s a star agleam to guide us,

And the Wild is calling, calling…let us go.

–Robert Service

Moses said to the people: “If only you would heed the voice of the LORD, your God, and keep his commandments and statutes that are written in this book of the law, when you return to the LORD, your God, with all your heart and all your soul. “For this command which I enjoin on you today is not too mysterious and remote for you. It is not up in the sky, that you should say, ‘Who will go up in the sky to get it for us and tell us of it, that we may carry it out?’ Nor is it across the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will cross the sea to get it for us and tell us of it, that we may carry it out?’ No, it is something very near to you, already in your mouths and in your hearts; you have only to carry it out.” –Duetoronomy 30:10-14

A pleasant day with the significant other, Mass at St. Paul Shrine, prayer, socializing, and then lunch downtown at Heinen’s. We decided to gather our food and eat outside on the tables setup on Euclid Ave. Ambiance joyful, a buzz filled the air as just down the street the Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees were preparing to finish their weekend series. Families flowed toward the park, enthralled and expectant of a wonderful day of excitement and entertainment. Directly across the street from our urban picnic, a bold large banner announced a welcoming to the soon to commence Republican National Convention. Of course everywhere, the recent NBA championship won by the Cavaliers led by LeBron James is still savored in signage and display, also t-shirts by many walking the sidewalks. Downtown is elaborately decorated, billboards announcing the wonder of Cleveland, detailing its history, achievements, and individuals. The mammoth digital displays stationed upon intersections presents highly defined active advertisements, the liquid crystal displays amazing in broadcast advancement. I am convinced I am in a stage of life dedicated to healing, refining my natural life in order to pursue the contemplative life on a higher level. The religious life, a consecrated reposing to the cloister, has been lovingly put aside. I will live in the world, love and grow quiet amongst the chaos. Living inside-out, progressing in contentment and identity, I become more and more aware of who I am in the eyes of Christ, allowing refinement to heal, delusion and irrational ways to sooth away. I admire the effect the significant other produces: a calming simplifying conducted through gentleness and affinity. I admire the effect my employment has upon me: challenging, humbling, demanding full concentration and effort, while exhausting. During the end of last week, difficult to establish a day since they blur together working seven days a week, an experience allowed a moment of elevating personal inventory. I spent the morning at ‘my’ auto dealer negotiating details on a new auto lease. I possessed a profound sense of peace and trust, handling the situation with the presence of God abiding, while also unsure regarding my credit. There was no fear, shame, or self-consciousness. I would face my life and personal circumstances calmly and with confidence. I was approved for the lease, able to end the lease with the Rescuerer as the co-signer. It felt liberating. I made the down payment of $2000+ with cash, still leaving in my bank account a savings well over six thousand dollars. I love the brand new Nissan Rogue with only seven miles on it. The following day I returned to the dealer with the significant other, shaking hands, introducing her, talking friendly and comfortable with two of the sales team. She is so comfortable and properly self-assuring in companionship. I was impressed with her presence, fully present to a conversation with one of the gentleman regarding the wonder of little children, especially the relationship of an older pre-school sister with her only sibling: an infant brother. The salesmen shared stories of his two children. Joyfully, she is nowhere except where she stands, lacking self-consciousness, not attempting to be something more than a warm friendly individual, not intending to impress, not desperate and demanding to be perceived as intelligent, foregoing the need to act with pretense and arrogance as a weapon. She listened quietly with rapt attention to the proud father while sharing stories of her adored niece and nephew. I must cut the post off in order to make it the Jennings Center for Mass and then a meeting with a Hospice representative. I hope the reading from yesterday’s Mass is obviously evident in relevancy.