# 41

“The future is not a result of choices among alternative paths offered by the present, but a place that is created - created first in the mind and will, created next in activity. The future is not some place we are going to, but one we are creating.”

Well it certainly has been a long time since I last shared some thoughts on this bloggity blog. The usual demands of work, my classes, life, etc. swallowed up most of my time and did not allow for any time to reflect on life and wax poetic here at the CS Prophet. I truly do plan on writing a lot more often this summer and this initial salvo is intended to catch you all up on where I have been and what has been going on in my life the past few moons. It may ramble at times but I hope there will be one solid theme that comes across…the future and the amazing prospects it holds for all of us.

It was another successful semester at the BSC Newman Center with my students and I feel as if we accomplished a lot of good wherever we went. Some of my students are moving on via graduation or transferring and I will greatly miss them. While I like to think I offer them a good amount of insight into life, faith, and education, they open up my eyes on a daily basis and teach me a great deal as well. They teach me how to be a better man, a better role model, a better campus minister, and most importantly a better human being. All of them, each in their unique way, remind me to hold strong to the Jesuit credo of being a man for others. For those that are leaving us, please stay in touch and know that you will be missed. For those that are returning, hold on tight, the good times are just getting started.

The end of the Spring 2010 semester also saw the completion of my course work for my Master of Arts in Theology degree. This coming year will be chock full of thesis writing and passing my comprehensive exams and then I will finally be a theologian…officially! It was another successful semester and I did well in the class and I am extremely excited to complete my degree. I have been fortunate enough to make some great contacts and I have a few standing offers to teach at local colleges upon the completion of my degree. It is quite flattering to know that people would like me to teach their students and I am confident I would do a great job. For me, there is something surprisingly calming about being in front of a class/audience/group giving a presentation/speech/lesson. I feel at home when I am teaching and enlightening minds and I truly feel blessed to have that ability as one of my gifts in this life. I am always striving to get my name out there and I jump at any chance to speak at colleges, conventions, workshops, etc. In addition to increasing my speaking appearances, I would also like to explore the possibility of freelance writing. I feel as if I could offer good insight if confronted with the appropriate topic and would love to share my musings with a wider audience. If you ever hear of a need for writing pieces on theology, young adult spirituality, travel, food, or many other topics, please let me know!!

As most of you know, one of the biggest changes in my life has come with the moving out of the apartment in North Buffalo and moving home to Clarence. I finally made the decision that I want to save for a house and there was no better time than the present to pull the trigger on that idea. The excitement builds every time I ponder the thought of being a home owner and I know nothing but goodness awaits me in this venture. The past few months have seen great changes to the house at 5115 and I am currently typing away whilst sitting in my new bedroom – if you have ever been to the house, you are in for a shock…it is totally different now…and in a good way!

Without exaggeration, the best thing that has happened to me in a long, long time is the addition of SL in my life. If you are familiar with our story, it is quite the funny one and goes all the way back to the good ol’ days at Canisius (where leaders are made). We were always very friendly, got along great, had many common friends, and pulled off the greatest prank ever on AB. After graduation we parted ways for a number of years – 6 of them with her living in another state – and we did not have much contact…maybe a random e-mail every other year? All of that changed a few months back when a common friend of ours started talking her up to me and suggested we should hang out when she was back in the 716 for a visit. The plan was to have dinner together and possibly meet up with more friends later in the night. Have you ever had that feeling in you when you are just completely sure of something and you don’t really know why? As soon as she walked in the door and I saw her, I just knew…I just knew that she and I were going to get together and be crazy awesome together. I can’t explain why I knew this, but I did. Maybe this was a tad presumptive of me considering we hadn’t even eaten the cheese yet (Cabot seriously sharp cheddar for those scoring at home) but I just had a feeling. We spent all night long – and I do mean ALL night long talking and then we spent the next night together as well. Just catching up and talking for hours and hours and hours. This awesome weekend was followed up by 86…err...84…err, 80 something days (checkout awfulcountdown.com for the correct count) apart. Long story short, we talked every day and made it through to my visit to see her. We spent an even more incredible few days together full of beaches, restaurants, beautiful weather, and rock band and she introduced me to some of her friends who were beyond amazing and completely welcoming. Our friends described our drive back to Buffalo as our “make it or break it moment” and I’m pleased to say we passed with flying colors. I’ve made that drive many times before and that was by far the easiest and most enjoyable of them. So now we’re back in Buffalo together and I can honestly say that I am crazy about this girl. You often hear people say that opposites attract but that certainly isn’t the case for us. We have so many similar interests and the same hysterical sense of humor and that causes me to be completely comfortable and relaxed with her. I can’t even begin to properly put into words how much I enjoy spending time with her and just like being with her. I had gotten to a point where I didn’t know if this was possible and she completely turned that upside down. I may not be able to articulate it well enough here, but I will certainly try to show her how much she means to me by my actions.

I mention SL here because A.) She is super important to me and I am so happy she is in my life and B.) We are going to set the blog world on fire this summer. We have an extremely long list of things we want to do this summer (and beyond) in Buffalo and we want to share our journey with you. Consider it a “1,000 things to see and do in Buffalo before you die” type blog. We will keep you posted along the way and let you know how it all plays out, what you should experience for yourself, and maybe some things to avoid. Check back often because we have already gotten started with the Dave Matthews Band concert at Darien Lake (full review coming in a separate blog) and we’re only getting warmed up.

So what the heck does this all have to do with the future? The future is what you make of it. The future is what you dream of it. If you want it, go out and get it. If you really want something, nothing should stand in your way.