Tom and Jerry: Defenders of All Things Right and Good

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

My vocation: I'm very committed.....or I should be committed.

It's hard to follow Tom's story of his vocation journey. Truth is, since even before he and I started this blog, we've both been discerning our respective vocations. My discernment of a call to the priesthood came and went very quickly a number of years ago. I asked God "Would you like me to become a priest?" His laughter was so loud and lengthy that I didn't really think I should ask Him again. So I've been hoping to meet someone with whom I could serve God as a husband and father. I met Lynda in Feb. of 2005, and after we settled into a comfortable dating life, I began to discern whether she was "The One".

By now, most of you who know me know that Lynda and I are engaged. I popped the question on September 15 under a tree between the two lakes behind the grotto on the Notre Dame campus. We were at ND for the next day’s ND-Michigan game. The Irish got stomped the next day 47-21. I got engaged. So the weekend wasn’t a total loss.

For those of you who know Lynda, it’s easy to see why I chose her. She’s Catholic, and not in a wishy-washy, “whatever, dude” kind of way; she is very much into Theology of the Body, and is very active in her church. She is very smart. If the way she cares for her dog, Tipper, is any indication, she will make a wonderful mother. Most of all, she has one of the purest hearts and delightful spirits of anyone I’ve ever met.

For those of you who know me, it’s not so easy to see why she chose me, though I believe that low standards and poor eyesight on her part are major contributors.

While we have much in common, though, there are aspects in which we differ:

Mornings

Lynda: On weekends, she likes to get up at the crack of dawn.
Me: On weekends, I like to get up at the crack of noon.

Lynda: Lynda’s dog, Tipper, wakes her at 5:30am and Lynda takes her on a morning walk.
Me: The first time that dog wakes me at 5:30am, there will be Tipper kabobs on the grill that evening.

Housekeeping

Lynda: “Cleaning house” means eliminating every germ within a 10 yard radius of the house and nailing the last remaining germ to the front door as a warning to other germs.
Me: “Cleaning house” means clearing a path between the front door, the TV, the refrigerator, the bathroom, and my bed.

Lynda: When washing clothes, she separates clothes by color.
Me: When washing clothes, I mix the clothes of different colors together so that they can learn from their cultural differences.

Food

Lynda: A “balanced” meal is one containing vegetables, grains, fruit, and, possibly, a little meat.
Me: A “balanced” meal is a large hunk of meat “balanced” in the center of the plate.

Me: A cut of steak is “cooked” when it is pink and juicy throughout.
Lynda: A cut of steak is “cooked” when it is so thoroughly scorched that it could only be of use to the National Hockey Association.

Comfort

Me: At 85 degrees outside, I’m sweating and beginning to believe Al Gore about “Global Warming”.
Lynda: At 85 degrees outside, she thinks it’s too cold to go swimming.

Me: At 65 degrees outside, I’m in shorts and a T-shirt; if I’m not careful, I may get a little sunburned.
Lynda: At 65 degrees outside, she’s in a parka and mittens, and cursing Al Gore about “Global Warming nonsense”.

Money

Lynda: As a CPA, she understands world monetary systems, economics, and the stock market.
Me: I’ve seen “Wall Street” 27 times and I still can’t understand what the hell they’re talking about.

Lynda: Has a diverse portfolio of stocks, investments, mutual funds, and CDs.
Me: Yeah, I’ve got a lot of my money in CDs too: Springsteen, Mellencamp, The Who….Why are you giving me a weird look, honey?....Oh.

Outlook On Life

Lynda: The glass is always half full.
Me: The glass is either half full or half empty, depending on whether Notre Dame lost last weekend.

Goals (based on an actual conversation of 5/28/2006)

Lynda: “Let’s talk about goals – specifically, the ones I have for you. How about you go back to school at U. of Dallas and get a Theology masters, then maybe become a deacon. Or you could write more, and maybe collect your essays into book. Or you could find some other writing niche, maybe humor or movies…..What are your goals for me?”
Me: “Um….Goals for you?..... (mentally scrambling) ....How about you take one of those “Strip Aerobics” classes?.... (icy silence) ...Um, I’m in trouble now, aren’t I?”


I was once told that the key to healthy, long-lasting relationship between two people is that they have enough important things in common for the relationship to have a solid foundation, but enough differences to keep things interesting. Judging by the above list, our marriage should be very interesting…..

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