... is once again pushing the envelope for me. Last year I dropped into it out of the blue, cold, knowing nobody, and vaguely knew a smattering of people afterwards. It was a relatively intimidating experience for me, kowing exactly zero people. At the closing party I shook hands w/ Cardinal George, and had very very distant acquantinces with... oh... 3 people? Which promptly diminished into nothingness. hehe so, maybe not so much pushing the envelope. But kinda. Planting seeds.
This time around, I'm heading up the food committee. Fortunately it doesn't really matter that I have like zero experience - great people are surrounding me. I think what I've most enjoyed is the opportunity to spend more time working with people who I kinda knew but didn't have all that much face time with. I like spending lots of time with people, not spending bits and pieces here and there. Wasn't it that dude in Ecclesiastes that said we find joy in our work.. it very much manifests itself for me when I'm working alongside others for the welfare of others. My team is Steve, Imelda, Linda, and Raul, and in particular I've probably spent the most time with Imelda and Raul, which I've really enjoyed. We've completed 2 of the 3 evenings that we'll be doing. Both were great, and getting even better each time. The first week I managed to have a few side conversations with other attendants and volunteers. As always, I love catching up with Joanne and Rachel. They are A+ women in my book. Oh and Leigh too, she donated an unneeded helmet to the Save Justin's Brain foundation, which I accidentally left there last week, which was still there this week, which I have now been wearing whenever I bike anywhere since then. It's quite the new experience, I just randomly sorta decided to cave in to peer pressure, which I didn't think I would do. Mike is a somewhat older guy who runs his own law business and is also involved in volunteering and young adult activities, I've enjoyed the opportunity to get a bit more time with him, definitely somebody good to emulate. Lisa and Julie are very helpful, having a lot of previous experience. I've been to Costco twice with Imelda to spend hundreds of dollars on food. I think we'll be closer than we were prior to this, I know her from Catholic Charities and the Greater Chicago Food Depository and she works pretty near to where I do. On the second evening, I met Lisa who I'd been seeing at 8AM mass, and her friend she'd just met the previous week, Mary, and her unicycle. I can't wait can't wait can't wait she is going to let me try it out next week! What was that about "the little things"? That by itself is one thing I'm seriously looking forward to next week. And get this, Lisa & Mary seem to be near my age! *gasp* that's nearly unheard of in my Catholic Young Adult universe.
On the side, I went to another parish's Theology on Tap as well these past two weeks, St. Teresa's last week (~20 attendees) and Old St. Pat's this week (~100 attendees). Ours at Holy Name Cathedral is still the largest. :) One more week, plus my team has to figure out a Volunteers Post Party, and there is a finale w/ the Cardinal but I'll be out of town for that.
This concludes my Theology on Tap station. You may now return to your regularly scheduled programming. Further historical updates on other goings-on to follow at an unspecified date.
This time around, I'm heading up the food committee. Fortunately it doesn't really matter that I have like zero experience - great people are surrounding me. I think what I've most enjoyed is the opportunity to spend more time working with people who I kinda knew but didn't have all that much face time with. I like spending lots of time with people, not spending bits and pieces here and there. Wasn't it that dude in Ecclesiastes that said we find joy in our work.. it very much manifests itself for me when I'm working alongside others for the welfare of others. My team is Steve, Imelda, Linda, and Raul, and in particular I've probably spent the most time with Imelda and Raul, which I've really enjoyed. We've completed 2 of the 3 evenings that we'll be doing. Both were great, and getting even better each time. The first week I managed to have a few side conversations with other attendants and volunteers. As always, I love catching up with Joanne and Rachel. They are A+ women in my book. Oh and Leigh too, she donated an unneeded helmet to the Save Justin's Brain foundation, which I accidentally left there last week, which was still there this week, which I have now been wearing whenever I bike anywhere since then. It's quite the new experience, I just randomly sorta decided to cave in to peer pressure, which I didn't think I would do. Mike is a somewhat older guy who runs his own law business and is also involved in volunteering and young adult activities, I've enjoyed the opportunity to get a bit more time with him, definitely somebody good to emulate. Lisa and Julie are very helpful, having a lot of previous experience. I've been to Costco twice with Imelda to spend hundreds of dollars on food. I think we'll be closer than we were prior to this, I know her from Catholic Charities and the Greater Chicago Food Depository and she works pretty near to where I do. On the second evening, I met Lisa who I'd been seeing at 8AM mass, and her friend she'd just met the previous week, Mary, and her unicycle. I can't wait can't wait can't wait she is going to let me try it out next week! What was that about "the little things"? That by itself is one thing I'm seriously looking forward to next week. And get this, Lisa & Mary seem to be near my age! *gasp* that's nearly unheard of in my Catholic Young Adult universe.
On the side, I went to another parish's Theology on Tap as well these past two weeks, St. Teresa's last week (~20 attendees) and Old St. Pat's this week (~100 attendees). Ours at Holy Name Cathedral is still the largest. :) One more week, plus my team has to figure out a Volunteers Post Party, and there is a finale w/ the Cardinal but I'll be out of town for that.
This concludes my Theology on Tap station. You may now return to your regularly scheduled programming. Further historical updates on other goings-on to follow at an unspecified date.