Canselmo False Alarm
There was a virtual Canselmo doppelganger in church today. A young man with a black beard. He circled the sanctuary as Mass went along, sitting in different pews as though he were Goldilocks waiting for the three bears to come home. He finally settled one row in front of me which afforded the chance to get a better look at him. After initially wondering why he would be there without any of his roommates, I finally decided he was a little too fit to be Conselmo. Everything about this mysterious stranger, from his thick legs to the swollen palms of his hands, suggested someone who spends a lot of time lifting weights.
So, I decided he was someone's boyfriend. He had to be. No one walks around like that in New York City completely unclaimed. As service rushed toward announcements and no one had yet sat beside him, I finally concluded that his girlfriend was a member of the choir.
The Cross Team made its usual U-turn around the Gospel side of the church and as they passed us by, I all but assumed my friend would find his way out. But, he stood in the pew, looking a little lost. Edgar and his son were right in front and I could just about make out the words, "through those doors", meaning, the double doors leading to the Parish House. Good. "He's going to Coffee Hour.", I thought to myself. I decided to help him along by following up on what Edgar's son had said.
It turns out, he was looking for the Gray Lounge. That just made my mind run even faster since I couldn't imagine what could possibly be of interest to a Jewish person at one of our Gray Lounge talks? Was the topic the Middle East? I thought we had already covered that subject. Has it been a year already? Possibly.
But, there was something else about him that was very disarming. He asked me my name. Then, gave me his: "Ezra.", he said. What a lovely name. Right out of the Old Testament.
I was detoured by a couple of greetings, but, I caught up to him just as he was trying to decide which of two very big meeting rooms was the actual Gray Lounge. Naturally, it was the empty one. For, as I pointed out to him, people would have coffee first then trot over in about ten or fifteen minutes. He caught on and soon enough, was sipping tea against one of the back walls.
He was relaxed and friendly. He knew how to look and sound interested in the person he was talking to. Remarkably, everyone else at St. Michael's was giving us a wide berth and in five minutes he'd had the condensed version of my entire spiritual journey.
At some point, he decided it was time for him to make it over to the Gray Lounge and, trying my best not to make it look as though I was stalking him (even though I actually was), I let him walk on ahead.
Much Colette and Bing ensued.
Then, walking into the Gray Lounge I discovered the room lightly attended, with many seats to choose from, including one right next to Ezra. So, I took that one. Mrs. Joinus was on my other side and thus I found myself kind of joining a conversation the two of them were already having. I have no recollection what I was about, but, someone from another part of the room remarked that no one was seated at the front of the room, clearly signifying the leader of the forum hadn't arrived yet.
Imagine my chagrin when Ezra announced that he was leading the forum. The subject was bail. He heads an organization in the South Bronx that pays bail for indigent accused people arrested for misdemeanors. He can't be more than twenty-four years old.
So, I decided he was someone's boyfriend. He had to be. No one walks around like that in New York City completely unclaimed. As service rushed toward announcements and no one had yet sat beside him, I finally concluded that his girlfriend was a member of the choir.
The Cross Team made its usual U-turn around the Gospel side of the church and as they passed us by, I all but assumed my friend would find his way out. But, he stood in the pew, looking a little lost. Edgar and his son were right in front and I could just about make out the words, "through those doors", meaning, the double doors leading to the Parish House. Good. "He's going to Coffee Hour.", I thought to myself. I decided to help him along by following up on what Edgar's son had said.
It turns out, he was looking for the Gray Lounge. That just made my mind run even faster since I couldn't imagine what could possibly be of interest to a Jewish person at one of our Gray Lounge talks? Was the topic the Middle East? I thought we had already covered that subject. Has it been a year already? Possibly.
But, there was something else about him that was very disarming. He asked me my name. Then, gave me his: "Ezra.", he said. What a lovely name. Right out of the Old Testament.
I was detoured by a couple of greetings, but, I caught up to him just as he was trying to decide which of two very big meeting rooms was the actual Gray Lounge. Naturally, it was the empty one. For, as I pointed out to him, people would have coffee first then trot over in about ten or fifteen minutes. He caught on and soon enough, was sipping tea against one of the back walls.
He was relaxed and friendly. He knew how to look and sound interested in the person he was talking to. Remarkably, everyone else at St. Michael's was giving us a wide berth and in five minutes he'd had the condensed version of my entire spiritual journey.
At some point, he decided it was time for him to make it over to the Gray Lounge and, trying my best not to make it look as though I was stalking him (even though I actually was), I let him walk on ahead.
Much Colette and Bing ensued.
Then, walking into the Gray Lounge I discovered the room lightly attended, with many seats to choose from, including one right next to Ezra. So, I took that one. Mrs. Joinus was on my other side and thus I found myself kind of joining a conversation the two of them were already having. I have no recollection what I was about, but, someone from another part of the room remarked that no one was seated at the front of the room, clearly signifying the leader of the forum hadn't arrived yet.
Imagine my chagrin when Ezra announced that he was leading the forum. The subject was bail. He heads an organization in the South Bronx that pays bail for indigent accused people arrested for misdemeanors. He can't be more than twenty-four years old.